


Newest Crewmember

by SeekHim



Series: A New Start [7]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childbirth, Family, Friendship, Gen, Kirk leaves the Enterprise, Kirk on a different ship, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-07-10 21:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 45,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7006885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeekHim/pseuds/SeekHim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The USS Saratoga receives a very special new crewmember and Jim becomes an uncle. AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mating

_Captain’s Log  
_ _Stardate 2261.5.1_

 _The Saratoga has arrived at the Tymle Cluster, a large open star cluster containing mostly B (Blue)  
_ _or A(white) type stars. At the edge of the cluster, we’ve discovered an A type star system with  
two_ _planets, both of which share an orbit around a common barycenter. We’ve named them Gemini I_ _  
and Gemini II. _ _Both planets are moonless although Gemini II has a ring around it, indicating that_ _  
it did have a moon at one point. Gemini I is a P class planet while Gemini II is M class and filled _  
with all manner of life forms.

 _We’re scheduled to be here for two weeks and I predict that all of our departments will enjoy_   _the assignment._

_James T Kirk_

* * *

_5/4/2261_  
_Alyen and L’Naym’s quarters_  
_1:23 AM_

Alyen awoke from a deep sleep to find his lifemate moving gently against him, preparing to withdraw  
from their bed. He stirred and reached for her, curious as to whether she was slipping away to visit  
the fresher or heading for the computer to look something up, something she'd been doing a lot   
of lately.

For the past three days the entire ship had been busy. Every day shuttle missions had been sent  
out to study different areas of the cluster and away-teams had been sent down to both of the   
Gemini planets. All of the different Departments were having a field day with the new data being   
collected and the Botanical Department was no exception. Although Gemini II was cold and covered   
in ice and snow, there was still plenty of both animal and plant-life to study and catalogue.   
And for someone born and raised on a desert world, each expedition had been filled with wonder.

“Where are y—” Alyen started to ask as he looked into his lifemate’s face. The room was dark,  
but there was enough light to see as their eyes met.

It struck.

The Mating.

L’Naym’s eyes widened with shock and Alyen's expression was just as stunned.

But then she smiled at him and slipped back under their blankets and he embraced her eagerly.  
The demands of the Mating were immediate- already they could both feel the burning need  
to blend their bodies and souls- and neither of them had any desire to resist it.

 _The Joined Souls joyfully embraced._  
_Two bodies became one…_  
_Two Souls became one…_  
_To give life to a Third._

* * *

_Later_

The lifemates lay together in silence, exhausted but filled with wonder and anticipation.

Alyen lay with his eyes closed, holding his beloved close, soaking in what they had experienced.  
Eventually she stirred and and then he felt her fingers gently tracing his face.

 _*Don’t move.*_ Her vivid sea-green eyes were filled with tears of joy. _*I want to fix this moment  
forever.*_

Alyen held her more tightly. _*Shylea.*_ He flooded her with his love and joy.

Gently he stroked her belly, knowing that a child had just been sparked inside her.

_Their child._

The joy he felt was indescribable.

A child. He and Shylea were going to be parents. They would be bringing a child into the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 of this story also take place during my story 'Parallels"


	2. Sickbay

_5/6/2261_  
_Saratoga Sickbay  
__8:00 AM_

The lifemates hurried to sickbay. The CMO was scheduled for an early morning meeting of the Senior staff,   
but hopefully he hadn't left yet. Upon arriving they saw him talking to Nurse Belzoni.

“Doctor,” Alyen called. “Doctor, you need to examine Shylea right away.”

L'Naym squeezed her lifemate’s hand. “We’re going to have a child,” she whispered. “I'm pregnant."

“You've gotta be freakin' kidding me!" McCoy motioned to Belzoni. "Get me a tricorder and monitor."  
He pointed to L’Naym. "You. Up on a biobed.”

Within moments, he had the tricorder calibrated and the monitor set to its frequency. "Lie back and lift   
your shirt for me," he murmured.

L’Naym did as instructed and lay back on the bed, grasping Alyen’s hand tightly. McCoy made several   
passes over her abdomen before pausing. "Well, you’re right. See that?" He pointed to the screen.   
"You, Mrs. L’naym, are expecting a little bundle of joy.”

As the couples exchanged joyous looks, he glanced at his tricorder again. “Let's get you a full work up.   
We’re going to need to start you on supplements and from there, we'll get you on a dietary and exercise   
plan to keep you and the baby healthy."

He gave the Nlians one of his rare genuine smiles. “Let me be the first to congratulate you.”


	3. Announcement

_5/6/2261  
__Sickbay_  
8:30 AM

Kirk approached sickbay. He had been preparing for the morning staff meeting when McCoy had commed,   
asking him to come to sickbay at once.

Upon entering, he quickly spotted his CMO looking at a PADD. “Bones. Is everything alright?”

McCoy looked up. “Everything’s just dandy, Jim.” He motioned toward a biobed. “But your two favorite   
crewmen asked me to have you come down here right away, because they had something important   
they wanted to tell you.”

For the first time, Kirk noticed L’Naym sitting on a biobed with Aleyn close beside her. Both of them   
looked up as he approached.

“Jim.” Alyen spoke first, his face lit in a beaming smile. “We knew that you were getting ready for a staff   
meeting, but we had to see you.”

L’Naym hopped off the bed and approached and Kirk noticed that she was positively  _glowing.  
_ “We couldn’t wait until the end of the shift to tell you. We had to share our joy with you _now._ ”

She took his hand. “Jim…Soul Brother… something wonderful has happened.” 

* * *

 _Briefing Room  
_ _9:40 AM_

“Now that formal business has been taken care of, I have an informal but very important announcement  
to make.” Kirk nodded toward McCoy. “Dr. McCoy here already knows, but now I’m going to share it with   
the rest of you.”

All throughout the meeting the Senior staff had noticed that their Captain seemed happy and they looked   
at him with expectation.

A wide grin split his face. “ Guys- your Captain is going to be an uncle.”

 


	4. Mess Hall

_Mess Hall_  
_12:35 PM_

“Were you both trying to get pregnant?” Natasha Holster asked curiously.

The lifemates had told their Captain that it was alright to tell the Senior staff of the pregnancy, but they'd  
asked him not to make a general announcement: They'd wanted to tell their friends themselves.

Upon being told the seventeen year old had squealed and hugged L'Naym tightly and was now  bursting  
with questions. “My parents tried for almost two years before I came along."

L’Naym looked at her fondly. “And when you were born I’m sure they agreed that it was more than worth  
the wait.” When the Nlian had first come to the _Saratoga,_ the two of them had quickly bonded over their  
mutual love of music. And after the sensitive human girl had lost her two previous mentors, Chief Petty  
Officer Sean Edwards and Lieutenant Commander Natalia Ostrovosky, in a single year, the two had  
become steadily closer.

“But to answer your question, we weren’t exactly trying to start a family, when it happened. No Nlian does.”  
At Natasha’s puzzled expression she continued. “ I should probably explain the Mating in detail.  
It only occurs between Bonded lifemates. Lifemates make love all the time as a sign of loving intimacy,  
but don’t become pregnant when they do. The Mating is different, it’s the drive to create to new life  
and it only happens at certain times.

“Human females are generally fertile once every month and Human males, with few exceptions, are fertile  
all the time. Nlian males and females are only fertile during the Mating. When lifemates Join their souls,  
their bodies are ‘keyed’ to each other and when the Mating occurs they both go into ‘heat,’  as it where.  
They both go through an intense mating impulse, during which time the female ovulates and the male’s  
sperm count is heightened. This is the only time when conception can occur.”

“How often does it happen?”

“There’s no set prediction. Tuskaro and I have been lifemated for four years and this is our first time.  
The first Mating usually happens within five years after Joining, but it can happen much sooner or later.  
Some couples go through it only days after Joining and some have had to wait for over a decade or longer.  
Some only have it happen once while other go through it twice or even three times. Some have it happen  
several times in a relatively short succession, while others go several years between. A very few couples  
have never had it happen and either tried medical intervention or chose to adopt, but that’s extremely   
rare; usually all lifemates go through it at least once."

She smiled slightly. “I’ve heard quite a few Human couples say that they’ve decided to, or are trying  
to start a family. With Nlian lifemates there's no decision involved apart from the decision to lifemate  
in the first place. Because the moment they do they know that at some point the Mating will strike.”

She gently rubbed her stomach. “We never know when or how often it will happen. When it does it’s always   
a surprise, but always a joyful one, so we call it the Joyous Surprise."

Her expression turned thoughtful.  “My parents only went through it once; my mother died before  
it could strike her and Father again."


	5. A Promise

_Saratoga Arboretum  
_ _1:00 PM_

“A baby? You’ve got a baby in your tummy?”

L’Naym smiled. All day she had been telling her friends and colleagues about her pregnancy.  
And this one she had been particularly looking forward too.

“Yes, Trisha. I’m going to be a mother.” 

“ _A baby!”_ Five year old Trisha Deerhorn squealed with delight and threw herself at the Nlian.

 “Is it a boy or a girl?” she asked excitedly after giving the L’Naym a crushing hug.

“We don’t know yet.”

“When’s it coming out? I want to see it!”

“In about 40 weeks. That’s ten months.”

Trisha’s forehead furrowed slightly. “Babies come out in _nine_ months. I learned that in class.”

“ _Human_ babies come after nine months. Nlian babies take a little bit longer.” Her face, although still   
smiling, grew a little bit more serious. And there’s something I’d like to ask you, Trisha. A very important   
favor for when my baby comes out.”

That got Trisha’s full, undivided attention. The little girl grew still and gazed at her, large eyes intent.

L’Naym’s mind went back to a conversation held many years ago on Nlia. A conversation that she  
hadn’t partook in but had been shared with her countless times in both words and soul touch.

* * *

 _7/28/2235_  
_Nlia  
__The L’Naym residence_

 _Three year old D’Ray Torash quietly made her way through her uncle’s house. She wiped some sweat_  
_from her forehead. It was a bit hotter here than she was used too; Aaupa, the famed City of Spices,_  
_faced the great Trade Sea and ocean breezes constantly blew, affording_ _coolness. Khasha, the City_  
_of Steel and home of her Uncle Farseen and Aunt Kalii, was far from the sea, surrounded by_  
_the Great Desert on all sides._

 _As stealthily as possible, she made her way toward her aunt and uncle’s room. Normally visits_ _to family  
were happy, but this visit had been very different. Mother and Father were both tense_ _and upset.  
Mother, who usually always had a smile on her face, hadn’t smiled once since coming._  _Also, they  
had come to Khasha to  visit her aunt and uncle, but her aunt hadn’t once come out _ _of her room once_  
and her uncle only briefly. D'Ray herself hadn't been allowed in but her curiosity had finally gotten   
the better of her .

 _She had waited until night when there would be less alert eyes; the L'Naym home had been_ _crowded_  
_with visitors, relatives, friends and doctors. Grandmother Faroma was there and had seldom left_  
_her daughter’s room. But now it was quiet. Mother and Father had gone to bed, but she knew that  
at any moment one of them might come to her room to check on her._

 _Cautiously she made her way over to the closed door of her aunt and uncle’s room. Very, very  
carefully she tried _ _to open it a tiny crack._

 _Abruptly the door was yanked open and a startled face gazed down at the three-year-old.  
“D’Ray!” _ _Farseen L’Naym exclaimed._

 _“I wanted to see the baby,” D’Ray said. Her parents had told her that she had a new cousin and_  
_she’d  been eager to see her, but ever since they 'd arrived in Khasha, she hadn’t seen any sign_  
_of her. She hadn’t seen much of her mother either; she had spent so much of her time in her_  
_aunt and uncle’s room._

_Farseen’s face grew stern. “D’Ray, you know that you’re not….”_

_From her bed Kalii Ryleth stirred.  “Beloved? What is it?” she called. Her normally strong, vibrant_  
_voice was weak and her breath raspy. It was Lungarus Syndrone, D’ray knew. Back at home_  
_she had heard her parents whispering it to each other when they had thought she wasn’t_ _awake._  
_It was 'an extremely rare, but highly dangerous disease', that 'shut down the respiratory and_  
_cardiovascular systems.' Whatever those where._

 _Aunt Kalii had contracted it during the seventh month of her pregnancy. It had weakened her_  
_terribly, although it hadn’t hurt her baby. Something which, according to Mother she had_ _been  
deathly afraid of. Three months in the hospital and all of the healers’ efforts to treat her, _ _had failed._  
Finally, two days after her child’s birth, she had insisted on leaving the hospital and returning   
to her home.

_D’Ray had wondered why her aunt had left the hospital if she was still sick._

_‘"She said the only reason she stayed in the hospital was to make sure that the baby was safe."_  
_she had heard Grandmother say to Mother. '"Now she wants to spend her last days in her own_  
_home."_

_D’Ray had wondered what ‘last days’ where._

_“What is it?” Kalii called again._

_“Your niece has decided to visit,” Farseem replied._

_D’Ray slowly made her way toward the bed. “I wanted to see the baby.” she said softly. “Mother_ _said  
that I had a new cousin. But I haven’t seen her yet.”_

_“I see.” The hoarse whisper sounded nothing at all like the vibrant irrigator’s usual strong,_ _musical voice_.   
_There was a shifting and then Kalii pulled back the blankets covering her, revealing a wrapped bundle  
at her side. _ _“Come here, little one.”_

 _D’Ray did so, noting how odd her aunt looked with a breathing mask over her nose and mouth and all  
the_ _tubes sticking in her arms._

_She heard a faint mewling sound and as she drew near, she saw the newborn’s face amid a wrap  
of blankets._

_“Here’s your new cousin. Her name’s Shylea. Isn’t she beautiful?”_

_D’Ray hesitantly reached out and touched the baby gently on the cheek._

_“She is beautiful,” Farseem said. “And her mother needs to rest.”_

_D’Ray turned her attention to her uncle. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, his voice was  
strained _ _and his words sharp-edged._

_There were footsteps in the hall outside the room and moments later, Brimyl  Ryleth entered the room.  
_ _“D’Ray…” she began, then she looked at Farseen, her expression apologetic._

_“You’ve seen your cousin,” Farseen nudged D’Ray toward her mother. “Now it's time for you to go.”_

_D’Ray let her mother collect her without protest. Brimyl took her by her shoulders and began to  
usher her_ _from the room._

_“Sister, wait.” Everyone looked at Kalii who was struggling to sit up. “Bring D’Ray back here for  
a moment.”_

_Brimyl did so and D’Ray sensed her mother’s curiosity._

_Kalii managed to sit up, coughing painfully. She then slowly removed the mask from her face._  
_For the first time, D’Ray noticed how gaunt her aunt looked and how sunken and hollowed_  
_her features had become._  
  
_Kalii held up her swaddled infant again. “My daughter will need a friend, D’Ray. All children_ _know  
_ _both joy and sorrow. All must pass through the trials of life and she will too. She will have her_ _father  
to help her, but I…” she paused. “Will you be a friend to my daughter, D’Ray? Will you help_ _take_  
care of my little girl?”

 _“Of course she will,” Brimyl’s voice was choked. D’Ray looked at her mother and was startled_  
_to see that she was crying. “You’ll help take care of your cousin, won’t you, Daughter?”_

_D’Ray nodded solemnly as she faced her aunt. “Yes, Aunt Kalii. I’ll help take care of her.”_

_Kalii lay back. “Thank you, little one,” she whispered as she gave her niece a grateful smile._  
_Then her haunting  eyes closed with exhaustion._

 _“She  has to rest,” Farseen murmured as he gently replaced his lifemate’s mask and stroked_  
_her hair. His eyes were moist and he seemed to be struggling not to burst into tears._

 _Brimyl nodded and slipped out the door, closing it behind her. She marched D’Ray through_  
_the house, out the back door to the small courtyard that separated the main house from_  
_the guest sections._

 _“You mustn’t sneak out like that again, D’Ray,” she said at length. ‘And **don’t** go in to your  
aunt and uncle’s room _ _again without permission.”_

_“Yes, Mother,” D’Ray whispered._

_She looked up at the night sky and as she did so she noticed a_ _falling star streaking overheard._

_*Flashback ends*_

* * *

_Saratoga Arboretum  
_

“I wouldn’t ask this of you, if I didn’t know how strong, brave and clever you are, Trisha,” L’Naym   
continued softly. “You know how special you are to my lifemate and me and we’re both going to need   
you more than ever now. This is a very serious promise, so don’t agree to it, unless you truly mean   
it with all your heart.”

Trisha nodded, urging her to continue.

“We’re both going to need your help in taking care of our child. He or she will need someone to help  
protect them because there are many dangers. A child’s eyes are full of curiosity and there are many  
things that he or she will want to know that someone will need to teach them. And of course, a child  
needs other children to play with. My child will look up to you because he or she will know that you’re  
strong and brave, smart and kind. Also, until now you were the youngest child on the _Saratoga_.  
The other children are much older and may not remember what it’s like to be little.

“Above all, my child will need someone to laugh with them when they're happy and to cry with and  
comfort them when they're sad. All children know both joy and sorrow. All must pass through the  
trials of life and my little one will too. It’s important that a child have their parents to help them.”

Her face brightened into a smile. “And good friends are important too. My cousin, D’Ray was a very  
special friend to me. She became my sister in every way that mattered and she enriched my life greatly  
with the gift of her love. I’d like my child to have such a gift too."

Her face once again grew serious. “So I would like you to promise that you’ll be there for my little one.  
That you will help take care them, that you’ll show them the world and that you will always be his or her   
friend. Can you promise me that, Trisha? Will you be a special friend to my son or daughter? Will you  
help take care of my child?”

Trisha watched her closely, then nodded fiercely. “Yes. I promise.”

L’Naym smiled and drew her into a gentle hug. “Thank you, little one.”


	6. A Brother and a Captain

_5/8/2261_  
_Captain’s Ready Room_  
_3:54 PM_

“You wanted to see us, Captain?” Alyen asked as he and L’Naym entered. He and his lifemate had both  
received comms asking them to report to the Ready Room. Upon entering, they found their Captain  
by the window staring out at the view.

Kirk turned to face them. “Have a seat, Crewmen.” His eyes were warm, but in the two years they’d  
known him, the Nlians had learned to tell when it was their Soul Brother speaking, or their Captain. 

It was the Captain now.

“Do you both remember that incident on Nerva Prime?” Kirk asked quietly once all where seated.

The Nlians nodded; they had never forgotten that incident. It had been the first time either of them   
had ever disobeyed orders.

Since the tragedy of Vulcan, Starfleet had not only been advancing their exploration programs,   
but establishing new colonies as well. Newly discovered, uninhabited M class worlds were always  
to be examined with the possible potential for colonization in mind. After larger ships discovered   
them and made the initial analysis, science vessels, such as the _Saratoga_ , would conduct a lengthier   
follow up study, lasting weeks. If they were satisfied, a long term research team would come   
and stay for up to year or longer to determine rather a colony, or at the very least, some sort   
of outpost should be established.

A year previously, the _Saratoga_ had been ordered to study Nerva Prime, an M class planet that   
the _Enterprise_ had discovered. The former Flagship had studied it for a few days and had listed   
it as a possible site for potential colonization. The _Saratoga_ had been dispatched to do what   
_Delphis_ class ships did best-take a closer look.

Shortly after arriving, they had quickly learned that the planet was anything but safe.  Lieutenant   
Commander Belzoni, the _Saratoga’s_ head Biochemist, had been attacked by parasites living in   
the northern continent and had only survived through Dr. McCoy's skills.

Even worse, while surveying the southern continent, they had encountered the planet’s previously   
unknown inhabitants. Apparently the indigenous population went into a regular stasis-like period,   
during which time their life signs appeared no different than the landscape. The _Enterprise_ had   
arrived during such a stasis period and the _Saratoga_ just as a Waking Period was about to begin.

The Nlians had been on the surface with Kirk, Chief of Security, Hatcher and Relief Helmsman,   
Blackhawk. The team had come across some of the newly awakened inhabitants and had been   
immediately attacked. Both Blackhawk and Hatcher had been injured within moments. Kirk had   
commed the _Saratoga,_ yelling for them to beam them out. He had been informed that atmospheric   
interference was preventing the _Saratoga_ from beaming up the entire party- they could only   
beam up four. Kirk had then ordered the team to be beamed aboard while he tried to escape on foot.

He had reckoned without two very determined Nlians.

* * *

_*Flashback*_

_3/24/2260_  
_Nerva Prime_

_“What the hell are you both doing!?” Kirk shouted. “I gave you an order!”_

_Alyen’s face was set in a scowl, an utterly alien expression._ _"And we're disobeying it! " The medic's voice  
was quiet but intense. "As you would say; 'No way in hell', are we leaving you!_ _You’re our Soul Brother!_  
_We'd no more abandon you than we would each other!”_

_L’Naym’s voice was no less intense. “We’re not leaving here without you! You can court-martial us  
when we get back, but we are **not** leaving!”_

_Kirk cursed loudly. “Saratoga, beam up Hatcher and Blackhawk. Alyen, L'Naym and I will try_ _to reach  
_ _cover on our own."_

_“But Captain…” the voice, Crewman Dalin’s, protested._

_“You obey my orders, Crewman!” Kirk snarled. “Or I’ll court martial you right along with_ _these two!”_

_*Flashback ends*_

* * *

_Saratoga Briefing Room_

“Things are different now,” Kirk continued. “You can’t risk yourselves for me like that anymore, no matter  
what we are to each other. It’s no longer just the two of you now-you’re going to be parents and your child  
has to come first. As Captain, I'm responsible for your safety and your child’s. It's _my_ job to protect _you_ ,  
not the other way around.”

“We know that, Captain,” Alyen said softly.

“Do you? I’m going to repeat to you now what I told you then: If we are _ever_ in a situation like that again  
and I tell you to go, you go and no arguing. If I tell you to run, you run even if it’s without me. If I tell you  
to abandon ship, you do it even if I’m still onboard.”

He paused. “If you feel that you can’t do this, say so now and I’ll arrange for you both to be transferred."

He ignored both of the Nlians' flinches and continued. "You’d have no trouble getting another posting;  
your conduct onboard this vessel has been exemplary and your Department heads have nothing  
but praise for your work."

“We have no desire to be anywhere but here,” L’Naym said. “ _You_ are our Captain. We Pledged ourselves  
to _you_.”

“Yes, you Pledged yourselves to me. And part of that Pledge was that you _obey_ me. You disobeyed me then.  
I let it go for three reasons. A: You did it out of loyalty and a desire to protect me. B: You didn’t endanger  
anyone except yourselves. And, a major C: I'd be dead now if you hadn't.”

While the three of them where fleeing, the pursuing Nervans had ignored the Nlians and instead focused  
on the larger target: Kirk. One of their weapons had found its mark in his leg. It had been laced with some  
type of poison that had not only caused intense pain, but had partially paralyzed him and then caused him  
to go into anaphylactic shock. His Soul Siblings had managed to drag him to shelter and simultaneously   
perform CPR on him, and hold the Nervans off with phaser fire, until reinforcements had arrived.

Later he and McCoy had had a few words.

_"They disobeyed a direct order, Bones. How am I supposed to let that go?"_

" _You're damn lucky they disobeyed you, Jim. You'd be dead now if they hadn't._ _"_

“I'd be dead now if you hadn’t been there," he said quietly. "Your disobeying me turned out to be the right  
decision… _that_ time. A fact which I included in my report. Starfleet agreed, which is why there is no censure  
on either of your records. But things could have been very different.

He forced his voice to harden. "In ordinary circumstances disobeying the orders of a superior officer has  
serious consequences. In ordinary circumstances, Crewmen, disobeying the direct orders of a commanding  
officer in a _combat situation_ , is a court-martial offense. ”

He leaned forward. “As Captain, I need to know that I can rely on everyone on board this ship to be where  
they're supposed to be and to go where they're ordered to go, _when_ they're ordered to go." 

His eyes bored into them both. “You are _never_ to disobey my orders again. From now on if I tell you to go,  
_you go_. Do you understand me, Crewmen?”

The Nlians silently reached out their hands. Just as silently he took them.

 _Three Souls touched._  
_The Joined Souls and the Soul they had touched_

_*You are our Soul Brother, Jim. We **know** you. And we know that you are doing this out of love.  
You know us and you know that we will obey you. Captain.*_

He gently squeezed the Nlians’ hands before releasing them. “Dismissed,” he whispered.

After the Nlians left, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. Pike had been right; it _was_ hard at times  
having family members serve under him.

Sometimes it was _very_ hard to be both a brother and a Captain.


	7. Crystalline Springs

_5/13/2261_  
_Gemini II_  
_Southwestern Peninsula_

The weather was relatively mild for this part of the planet today; the winds were icy but nly a few flakes   
were falling from the sky. Kirk, Alyen, L'Naym and Lieutenant Taya Williams drew their hoods closer about   
their heads. Lieutenant P'lal didn't- as an Andorian she was used to cold and found the current weather   
quite pleasant. Thelin, during his regular trips to the planet, had greatly enjoyed it.

Gemini I and II were both cold worlds. (Kirk had jokingly called them Delta Vega II and III, while others called  
them the Snow Planets.) Gemini I was completely covered in ice and glaciers. It appeared to be lifeless,  
but had incredible geography. Thelin had particularly enjoyed studying its climate, since it greatly resembled   
Andoria.

Gemini II was slightly warmer, although also perpetually covered in snow. It consisted of stunning mountains,  
vast tundra, a few tiny thicket-like forests in sheltered valleys in the equator and many species of animals.  
Part of the planet resembled Antarctica but other parts reminded Williams of her native Alaska.

Tomorrow the _Saratoga_ would be leaving both planets and the Tymle Cluster and moving on to her next  
assignment, but Kirk had decided to make one last planetary trip and to take his Soul Siblings.

Kirk grinned at the lifemates. Most of Nlia's land masses comprised of desert and even the tiny forested  
Northern Continent never saw snow. Every time the Nlians had come to the surface, despite the cold,  
their eyes had always filled with wonder at such a different environment from their own.

He took note of their shivering however. "Come on, guys," he said. "We're almost someplace warm.  
Beautiful, too! You'll love it."

He and another team had discovered the promised spot some time ago. He had been determined to show  
it to his Soul Siblings and today he had brought them down. They had had to use a shuttle; due to their  
unique biology, it wasn't safe for pregnant Nlians to transport. So until her baby was born, L'Naym would  
have to rely on shuttles for transportation. And she wouldn't be doing much more of that either as pregnant  
crewmembers weren't allowed on potentially dangerous away missions, so her times off the _Saratoga_  
were going to become increasingly restricted.

The _Saratoga_ had been studying this planet for nearly two weeks. The particular area they were in now  
was located on a tiny peninsula that had no large predators and right now the weather was reasonably  
mild with only a few flakes of gently falling snow. Kirk had deemed it safe. (Although he had both P'lal  
and Williams along for security and Petty Officer Ferien had the shuttle warmed and waiting not far away.)   
His Soul Sister wouldn't be able to go on many away missions in the future and he wanted to make sure  
the few she still could go on counted.

The scent and feel of steam hit them and with a grin, Kirk beckoned the Nlians forward. Alyen's eyes   
widened and L'Naym's lit up as they took in the scene.

It was a large geothermal spring, its waters bubbling up hot. The steam melted the surrounding snows  
and the cold weather froze the ground again. As a result, everything near the springs was slicked  
with glistening ice.

"It's just like crystal," L'Nyam breathed.

There were plenty of hot springs in both the Northern and Southern Lands, but since it never snowed  
on Nlia, neither she nor her lifemate had ever seen a sight like this before.

At the spring a small herd of creatures resembling white mountain goats were grazing on the surrounding   
plants. They were being teased by two canid- like creatures about the size of foxes.

Excitedly, L’Naym began to move closer. "Watch your step," Kirk murmured gently, so as not to dispel  
her wonder; "It's pretty slippery."

L'Naym carefully picking her way across the ice-covered rock. Side by side she and her lifemate made  
their way toward the herd with Kirk, Williams and P’lal trailing close behind.

When they were still several yards away, Alyen gently put a hand on his lifemate's shoulder. "Best not  
to get too close, Beloved.  We don't want to startle them."

"He's right, they startle easily," Kirk put in. "And those horns of theirs aren't for show. The last team  
got a little too close and one of those rams gave Ensign Keller a nasty head butt."

As if on cue one of the rams looked up. It had apparently had enough teasing because, with a sudden  
charge, it butted its head into one of the canid's shoulders. It was hurled back with a startled yelp and  
both it and its companion fled.

"See what I mean?" Kirk said.

L'Naym nodded silently, not taking her eyes off the herd.

For several minutes the party simply stood, silently taking in the beautiful scene: the herd, the crystalline  
springs, the surrounding field of snow and all the while snowflakes falling gently to the ground around   
them.

At length, a comm came through.

_"Captain. Our sensors report that a storm's approaching your location. It won't reach you for another  
forty minutes, but you and your party should probably return to the shuttle."_

"Will do, Akari," he answered. He put back his comm and turned to the Nlians. "Come on, Guys,  
we should head back."

Both Nlians nodded and all of them turned and started heading back toward their waiting shuttle.

As she drew close to Kirk, L'Naym reached out and took his hand. "Thank you, Jim," she whispered.  
They were both wearing gloves so they couldn't touch souls, but her eyes conveyed her gratitude.

"You're welcome, sis," he said softly.


	8. I can use the practice

_Captain’s Log_  
_Stardate 2261.7.27_

 _For the past month the Saratoga has been conducting her survey/research mission on the outer edges_  
_of known space. We have been charting the Scarlet Expanse, an incredible region discovered by_  
_the Valiant during her historic Five Year Mission._

 _The area is aptly named. Every star in this region is either a red giant or a red dwarf and the incredible_  
_nebulas and gaseous formations are red as well. The Valiant only spent a few days here before moving_  
_on, but we plan to be out here for two months taking a **real** look at this area. We’ve already gotten _  
_several treasure troves worth of data, starting with the red hyper-giant that we encountered when we_  
_first came, to the stunning open cluster that we are currently examining._

 _Coming out here has taken us further than most ships in the Fleet have ever traveled and we’re past  
the range _ _of Starfleet's subspace arrays, so it’s easy to imagine that we’re on a Five Year Mission too._  
_We have another month to go out here before we head back toward familiar space. Part of me would  
love_ _to keep going and never turn back. But another part will be glad to turn back, because we have  
precious _ _cargo to protect and one can never have too much help in protecting them._

_James T Kirk_

* * *

_Quarters of Petty Officer Greg Matthews_

“He’s beautiful,” L’Naym whispered as she gazed down at the four day old baby in her arms.  
She then at his brother who slept in his mother’s arms. “They both are.”

Danielle Matthews, wife of Petty Officer Greg Matthews and the _Saratoga’s_ best meteorologist smiled.  
“Hey you’re going to have one of your own very, very soon!

L’Naym smiled. “I know it’s hard to believe sometimes,’ she whispered. Nothing in life had affected  
her so much as knowing that she would become a mother.

Matthews looked down at the son in her arms. “Well, feel to help with David and Jonathan as often  
as you like.” Her expression turned rueful. “I’ll certainly need the rest.”

L’Naym chuckled. “I look forward to it. And I can use the practice.” Since coming to the _Saratoga_  
she had become very popular with the children on board and was much in demand as a babysitter.  
But the youngest child on the Saratoga until now had been five year Trisha Deerhorn.  Little David  
and Jonathan Matthews were the first babies that had been aboard in a long time. They were  
of particular interest to Kirk since they were the first children born under his command.

 _And in a few months Jim, another will be born under your command too,_ she thought happily.

She glowed with joy as she recalled how she’d felt when Dr McCoy had informed her and Tuskaro  
of their child’s gender.

* * *

 _Flashback_  
_7/1/2261_  
_Saratoga Arboretum_

 _L’Naym practically floated among the plants of the arboretum. Today during her regular pre-natal exam,_  
_Dr McCoy had told her the gender of her child. She would have loved her child no matter what gender_  
_it was but knowing it had somehow made it seem even more **real.** And now her heart was bursting  
with joy._

 _As she moved among the green, a joyful song burst from her lips and it wasn’t until she was nearly  
done _ _that she noticed that Commander Filars and Lieutenant Patariki had entered the room._

_“Well somebody’s very happy today,” the Chief Engineer remarked with a smile._

_Patariki, Filars’ second in command, chuckled. “And a little bird is singing a very happy song.”_

_“Because my heart can’t contain its joy,” L’Naym said dreamily. She reached out and clasped_ _both  
engineers in a firm hug. It may not have been seen as proper on other ships but the Saratoga _ _was  
informal and _ _she had already given the blustering CMO a hug._

_“A son! My Beloved and I are going to have a son!”_

_End Flashback_

* * *

“You’re doing it again,” Matthews pointed out.

L’Naym jerked back to her awareness of the present.

“I know that look,” Matthews went on. “That glow of happiness. It was all over me when I was carrying  
Elizabeth years ago. It looks good on you.”

L’Naym blushed. “Thank you.”

Later after the two women had put the babies to bed, Matthews turned to L’Naym. “There’s something  
that I’ve wanted to say a long time, Shylea. Thank you. You’ve been a good friend to Elizabeth over  
the years and I know you’ll be a big help with the twins.”  
  
She took a deep breath. “You were also a big help to me during…” she paused.

L’Naym nodded not needing her to say more. The twins had been a healing balm to their mother.  
Early the year before Matthews had suffered a miscarriage. Although L’Naym hadn’t been among  
the meteorologist’s close circle of friends, she had offered comfort and support and it had been her  
suggestion that a memorial be held for the unborn baby.

Matthews went on. “I just want to say that from the care and compassion that you’ve given to everyone  
on this ship- I know that you’ll make a wonderful mother.”


	9. There are no words

_Captain's Log_  
_Stardate: 2261.8.22_

_The Saratoga completed its survey of the Scarlet Expanse and came back within range of Starfleet's_ _  
subspace arrays yesterday. No sooner had we done so when we were ordered to go to the remote_ _  
Campor System to investigate a strange anomaly that Starfleet’s remote sensors had picked up.   
_ _We’ll be arriving shortly._

_James T. Kirk_

* * *

_Saratoga Sickbay_  
_9:40 AM_

"Beatin’ strong and steady," McCoy said warmly as he held the fetal doppler over L'Naym's stomach.  
At three months along, her belly was just beginning to round.

L'Naym listened enraptured to the sound of her unborn child's heart. "Beloved, that sound," she  
whispered to her lifemate.

Alyen squeezed her hand tightly, too moved to reply.

Kirk watched from a distance smiling. In preparation for their upcoming mission he'd decided to  
personally visit each Department. Upon arriving in Sickbay he'd discovered that he'd walked in  
on his Soul Sister's regular pre-natal exam.

Pre-natal exams. That was one of the many plusses about the _Saratoga;_ her class was one of the few  
in the Fleet that allowed families aboard. Altogether there were nine children onboard with a tenth  
on the way. The _Saratoga's_ greatest treasures L'Naym called them.

"I need to get back to the botany lab," McCoy had completed his exam and L'Naym was getting up.  
"Commander Rodriguez is very excited over the algae collected from that rogue planet."

During the last days survey of the Scarlet Expanse, the _Saratoga_ had come across a rogue planet.  
Although lifeless on the surface it had many subterranean caverns with countless blue acid streams  
warmed by the planet’s molten core and filled with bioluminescent algae. Kirk had nicknamed it  
the Blue Planet. A  blue planet in the midst of the Scarlet Expanse. A blue planet with no sky,  
but caves, tunnels and illuminated rivers.

L’Naym hadn’t been allowed to go on any of the away missions, but she was eager to get to the labs  
to look at the algae collected.

As she headed off to change back into her work uniform, Kirk stepped closer to Alyen. "Baby-making  
doesn't slow her down does it?" he asked with a grin.

"Why would it?" Alyen answered with a grin of his own. "She's as fearless and dedicated as you are."

"Though with a lot more brains," McCoy murmured as he put away his equipment.

Kirk ignored the CMO's jab and clapped Alyen on the back. "So… _Dad,_ has it all started to sink in yet?"

"Jim…" all levity fled from the Nlian's face. Nothing in life had affected him so deeply as knowing  
that he was going to be a father and his most joyful moments where when he placed his hands  
over his lifemate’s belly, felt the little one move and tried to imagine what his son would be like.  
At moments like that his joy and gratitude knew no bounds.

"Jim, there is no end to the joy that I feel when I think of the little one, Shylea and I have created."  
His voice dropped to a near whisper. "When I hold her and I feel the baby moving…I feel like I could  
drown in my love for both of them."

He held a hand out to his Soul Brother. "Can I show you?"

"Of course," Kirk said softly, reaching out to take the Nlian's hand.

_Two Souls briefly touched._

_The Joined Soul shared the depth of his love for his beloved._  
_His pride, joy and love for their child._

_The Touched Soul rejoiced for them both and for the little one to come._

"I'm so glad for you, Little bro," Kirk whispered solemnly as Alyen's hand dropped away.  
"You and Shylea both."

He knew that joy over their upcoming child had consumed the Nlians from the moment the Mating  
had struck and all their hopes and dreams were now tied up in the birth and raising of the son,  
that couldn’t arrive soon enough as far as they were concerned.

“If anyone deserves this much happiness, it's the two of you."

"All right you two," McCoy grumbled. "This is a sick bay not a daytime drama soap." McCoy sounded  
like his usual sardonic self, but his eyes showed that he was moved.

Arex's voice came over the intercom. " _Captain. We're approaching the Campor System."_

"On my way, Arex." As he turned to go he winked at his Soul Brother. "Catch you later. _Dad."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 of this story also take place during my story 'Parallels"


	10. No unnecessary risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 of this story also take place during my story 'Parallels"

_Bridge of the Saratoga_  
_10:00 AM_

"That thing is _huge_ ," Kirk murmured as he gazed at the viewscreen.

Huge was an understatement. According to readings the anomaly was as large as a planet.  
The anomaly that Nero and Ambassador Spock had come from had resembled a massive  
black hole surrounded by lightning streaks.

This anomaly was completely different in appearance. It was red in color and appeared to be  
constantly fluctuating, in both size and appearance. One moment it resembled a round sun-like  
object, the next a nebula, the next a formless mass. It also appeared to be seething with energy  
and massive lightning-like flashes regularly shot through it.

It _definitely_ didn't look like something to be lightly trifled with.

Kirk turned to his Helmsman. "Hold us here, Akari. Until we know exactly what we're dealing with,  
this is close enough."

Once he would have gotten a lot closer, but having a ship with children on it tended to make him  
cautious when dealing with huge unknown anomalies that appeared to be fluctuating and, for all  
he knew, could expand at any second.

He thought briefly of Matthew's month old twins and the tiny life growing within his Soul Sister.

His future nephew.

Knowing that they was going to become parents had changed his Soul Siblings. And knowing that  
he was going to become an uncle had changed him as well.

_'Your lives I will defend. Your trust I will never betray.'_

No, he would take _no_ unnecessary risks.

He glanced around at his Bridge crew. Unlike larger ships, not every post on a _Delphis_ class bridge  
needed to be fully manned. But Kirk had ordered that until they were far from this…whatever it  
was, it would be, 'All hands to Science Stations.' So every post and console, on both the bridge  
and the rest of the _Saratoga_ was full.

He turned to Petty Officer Steven Bower, who stood at Sensors. "Bower, run a series of long range  
detailed scans and launch probes. I want as much information as we can get."

He looked at his Navigator. “Arex, plot an escape course and keep our shields at maximum."

He turned to his pilot. "Akari, you watch that thing like a hawk and get us out of here _fast_ if  
it starts to do anything weird. If both Thelin and I are away from the bridge, you're to remain  
at the helm. Keep your foot near the pedal at all times and burn rubber if you even _think_  
that thing's doing something."


	11. Briefing

_Briefing Room_  
_1:25 PM_

Kirk sat in the Briefing Room with Thelin and several scientists: Lieutenant Commander Pierre Gaston,  
Head of the Physics Department. Lieutenant Mark Baines, whose passion was physics and energy  
and Cres Vumor, a civilian scientist from Oranga III, who specialized in dimensional and interspatial physics.

Also attending was Petty Officer Bower. He’d been dubbed the Saratoga's Eyes because he was undisputed  
master of her sensors and probes and Kirk knew that his sharp eyes missed nothing when it came to readings.  
He was also a good friend of Alyen’s and was the one the medic turned to when he wanted to improve his  
computer and technical skills.

Only a few days ago Alyen had confided in Kirk. _“Steven’s truly the eyes of this ship. And I feel better_  
_knowing that his sharp eyes are always on the alert for danger.”_

 _I’m sure you do, little bro_ , Kirk thought. Especially now that you and Shylea have a little someone on the way.   
He smiled inwardly as he glanced at Bowers.  _I feel better too. Knowing that he’s watching over this ship._  
_And my family._

Thelin began the meeting. "Our initial scans were inconclusive at first, but they match those taken from  
the USS Kelvin before it was destroyed. We do have a theory." The Andorian's voice was thoughtful as he  
continued. "It's possible that we're looking at some kind of Quantum Storm."

Gaston now spoke. "Think of all possible realities existing parallel to each other, but separated by a  
temporal barrier. What we're seeing now is a place where the barrier has weakened."

"Think of the barrier as a cloth," Baines said. "This is a place where the cloth’s gotten ragged and holes  
have appeared. This could enable something to pass from one reality to another."

"Like the _Nerada,"_ Kirk said thoughtfully.

Vumor now spoke in his soft, high pitched voice. "The anomaly seen by the Kelvin was described  
as a 'lightning storm in space.' It's possible that the storm was the result of some kind of temporal  
entanglement. Of the different realities not only touching, but becoming entangled with each other."

"We may have seen indications of that, "Bower said. "We sent several remote probes toward the anomaly.  
When they got close to it they began to show signs of…entanglement; programs suddenly started routing  
through different sections or operating in entirely different ways."

Kirk frowned. Proximity to the anomaly could cause ‘entanglement’ between inanimate objects.  
_If that anomaly can also affect organic matter as well…._

Further discussion was abruptly cut off by a sudden lurch as the Saratoga rapidly began to move.

Before Kirk could hail the bridge, Akari's voice came over the comm. _"Captain! The anomaly's_  
_expanding! I'm backing us up!"_

"On my way!"

As Kirk raced toward the bridge he thought; _And I also feel safer knowing that Akari is at the Helm_!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 of this story also take place during my story 'Parallels"


	12. Encounter

_Saratoga Bridge_  
_1:45 PM_

Kirk arrived to find that Akari had once again brought the ship to a halt and was staring at the viewscreen.

"Captain, the anomaly's stopped expanding." The Helmsman’s eyes widened. "And something's coming  
out of it! It's a ship!"

It was true; a large silver, very familiar looking vessel had been hurled out of the anomaly as though  
it had been spat out.

M'Ress was going over her readings. "Captain it's one of ours! _Constitution_ class." Abruptly she paused  
and then a shocked look came over her face as she stared at the screen.

“M’Ress?” Kirk pressed.

Slowly she turned back to the Captain. "Sir. It's the _Enterprise."_

The Bridge went stone quiet. All eyes trained on the Captain.

Kirk had frozen but managed to keep his face was expressionless.

"They look like they've taken a beating," he said after a moment. _And past or not, they’re still Starfleet  
and may need help_.

He gave a resolute sigh. "Patch me through to them."

"Aye, sir."

 _"Enterprise_ , this is Captain James T. Kirk of the _USS Saratoga,"_ Kirk began calmly _._  "What's your status?"

There was no answer.

" _Enterprise_ this is the _Saratoga_ ," he repeated. "Please respond."

A voice came. A very _familiar_ sounding voice. _"Wait…Did you just say…James T. Kirk?"_

Another image appeared on the screen.

And Kirk felt the universe tilt. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 also take place in my story "Parallels'


	13. Is this a Joke?

_Saratoga Bridge_  
_1:48 PM_

"Is this some kind of _joke?'_ Kirk demanded.

On the screen, on the bridge of the _Enterprise_ … James T. Kirk responded. “I was about to ask _you_ the same thing.   
Not exactly in the same words, maybe. But close enough."

Kirk stared at his double. " _You're_ James Tiberius Kirk?"

"Yes," the other Kirk replied calmly. "And you are too?"

"You're from Iowa? Born on _Kelvin_ medical shuttle 37, Stardate 2233.0.4?  Parents, George and Winona Kirk?   
Brother, George Samuel Kirk?"

"Bingo, on all counts. And you're Captain of…" the other Kirk’s eyebrow raised, "the _USS Saratoga_?"

"And _you_ , ” Kirk said quietly; “are still Captain of the _USS Enterprise_."

He looked past his double to the _Enterprise_ bridge; seeing several familiar faces not seen for three years.

_Spock…_

_Uhura…_

_Sulu…_

_Chekov…_

And somewhere down in that other ship’s Engineering... _Scotty._

His first crew. The ones who had…

Suppressing a shudder he stepped back and turned to his First Officer who was standing close behind him.

"Thelin," he managed weakly; "Thelin, are you seeing this?"

"I am, Captain," the Andorian said quietly.

He looked over at McCoy, never more grateful for his best friend’s presence than now. "This isn't a hallucination   
is it, Bones?"

McCoy had his instruments out. "All of our brains are in perfect working order."

Thelin spoke again. "It would appear, Captain, that we are encountering an _Enterprise…_ from another reality."

Kirk's voice dropped to a whisper. "Another reality where the crew didn't…"

He glanced again at the _Enterprise_ Bridge.  Standing beside the other Kirk was Spock and another Bones.  
His double was talking to them both now and he could faintly hear the Vulcan say; ‘Fascinating,’- before  
launching into a logical observation about the situation.

One could always trust Spock to be logical. Even when he was being as cold as Delta Vega.

Over the years he had become adept at reading people and noticing small details. And there was something   
about his double and his Spock that he right away noticed.

There was a closeness between the two of them.

His double and his Spock were close friends.

Like Ambassador Spock and his Kirk had been.  
  
Like he and his Spock could have been.  
  
_“You will have a friendship that will define you both.”_

_"My Jim's first best destiny was as a Starship Captain. Mine was to serve at his side."_

_"The crew of the Enterprise...were extraordinary."_

He was looking at what might have been. What could have been if...

_Well, looks like someone had a wee of a night eh?_

_"Can't you at least keep these things off duty? Captain?"  
_

_“With all do respect, Captain, I believe that your personal affairs should remain exactly  that…personal.”  
_

_"Serves him right."_

_"Sorry Captain but I'm a wee bit busy here.  
_

_"Sorry, sir, but there's this experiment we have running at the botany labs…"  
_

_"Excuse me, Keptin, but I have several things to do at ze astrolabs…" "  
_

_Doesn't he get that people just aren't interested?'_

_"This crew and I...we're done."  
_

Ancient wounds began to reopen and bleed.

 _Focus, Kirk!_ he told himself. _This situation needs to be dealt with!_  
   
He took a deep breath and once again approached the viewscreen. "I think, Captain, that we should  
continue this conversation in our Ready Rooms."

* * *

_Enterprise Bridge_

As their Captain exited the bridge, McCoy turned to Spock. "So what exactly is Starfleet protocol here?  
Do we invite the other Kirk over for a drink?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 also take place in my story "Parallels'


	14. Ship Announcement

_2:00 PM_

_"All decks this is the Captain speaking_.”

Every person onboard the _Saratoga_ paused in the midst of what they were doing and listened.

 _"The anomaly that we've been studying is apparently some kind of quantum storm. Scientists  
have _ _theorized that there are many different realities existing in parallel; that anything that **can** happen,   
_ _ **does** happen in a different reality. This anomaly is some kind of knot where all of those realities meet. _   
_Its basically a doorway to countless other realities and apparently objects that come in contact  
_ _with it are able to pass from one reality to another."_

* * *

**_Sickbay_ **

Alyen’s eyes widened. The mysterious anomaly that the _Saratoga_ had been sent to study had been far more... _cosmic_   
than anyone could have imagined. Not long after they’d first arrived, Dr. McCoy had sent him down to Engineering   
to deliver a PADD to Commander Filars. Along the way he had taken a moment to peek out a window in order to see   
the anomaly for himself.

The sight had left him feeling _very_ uneasy. Once again he’d been glad that he wasn’t in charge of the _Saratoga_ and that Jim was.   
He _knew_ his Soul Brother and there was no one that he trusted more with the safety of his fellow crewmembers,   
and his lifemate and unborn son.

* * *

**_Botanic Bay_ **

L’Naym’s eyes widened. There were windows not far from the botanic bay and in the hours since they’d arrived  
everyone in the Department had taken a moment to peek outside.

None of them had particularly enjoyed what they saw and she had enjoyed it even less.   
Who knew what that anomaly was or what it could do.

To the ship. To the crew.

To her baby…

She had gently rubbed her hand over her stomach; reminding herself that her Soul Brother was on the Bridge   
and would do everything in his power and beyond, to protect everyone on board.

And not only him- the Senior staff would too. She didn’t have the close friendship with any of them that she did   
with her Soul Brother, but in the two years that she had served under them, she had gotten to know them and she   
trusted them completely.

She had felt her lifemate reaching out to her. He had sensed her concern and wanted to give comfort.  
She had reached back, soaking in his presence. During their lunch break the two had held each other,   
silently sharing their fears and worries, as well as sending each other reassurance.

_They weren’t alone. Their Soul Brother was there, as was the Senior staff._

When the ship had abruptly lurched she had wondered why. Someone had told her that the anomaly had   
suddenly started to expand and Lieutenant Akari had moved it further back.

Not long afterwards, two crewmembers from Engineering: Petty Officer George Martin and Crewmen Todd Daniels   
had hurried past the labs. Rodriguez had asked them what was going on and Martin had breathlessly told them   
that another ship had come out of the anomaly.

The _Enterprise_.

Both her hands had flown toward her mouth in shock.

 _"That's what's happened now. A USS Enterprise, under the command of…myself, came in contact with this_ _anomaly  
in its own reality and was pulled into ours."_

L'Naym closed her eyes. The anomaly was some sort of gateway to parallel realities. And another _Enterprise_ had   
come though it. An _Enterprise_ commanded by another James T. Kirk.

She didn't have time to think through all of the ramifications of parallel realities. She was far too busy worrying   
about how all of this would effect her Soul Brother. She _knew_ him and she knew that he would not be taking this well. 

At all.

 _"Captain Kirk will soon be arriving by shuttlecraft with his Senior staff to discuss the situation_ _and hopefully  
come up with solutions as to how to return them home. Everyone is to extend to both him and his staff full_   
_cooperation and courtesy._

_"Kirk out."_

Dismay filled her. _This other Kirk and his crew are coming over here now? Oh, Jim. Jim_.

* * *

**_Medical Bay_ **

Alyen groaned internally.

The _Enterprise_. There was nothing that caused his Soul Brother more pain or opened more wounds than   
discussion of the _Enterprise._ And now it was _here._

No, not the _Enterprise_ that had betrayed him, although that would have been bad enough. Instead it was another  
_Enterprise_. An _Enterprise_ under the command of…himself. An _Enterprise_ that would be a constant reminder   
of what might have been.

And now that other _Enterprise’s_ Captain Kirk was on his way to the _Saratoga_ with his Senior staff.

Alyen's head was spinning and his heart was filled with foreboding.

He could only communicate with his Soul Brother when they were in physical contact, but he didn’t need to touch   
or even see him to know one simple fact:

His Soul Brother was hurting. Badly.

He could feel his lifemate reaching out to him.

_*Beloved. Jim needs us.*_

_*I know, Beloved. I know.*_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 9-24 of this story also take place during my story 'Parallels"


	15. Shuttlebay

_Saratoga Shuttlebay 2:30 PM_

Kirk stood rigidly at attention as he watched the _Enterprise s_ huttle, _Warrant_ slowly pull inside of the shuttle-bay.

He glanced at his First Officer and Chief of Security, who had accompanied him. Arex and Akari were still on the bridge   
and the rest of his senior staff where waiting in the Briefing room.

He knew that McCoy had wanted to accompany him when he first met with the _Enterprise_ crew, but his best friend   
had been seething from the moment that the other ship had first arrived and he wasn’t quite sure that the irascible   
doctor wouldn’t say something unpleasant when he first saw their old crew again.

 _They’re not the same crew_ , he kept reminding himself.

But knowing something in his head and feeling it in his heart were two very different things.

The _Warrant_ landed and he silently held his breath and braced himself.

After a moment the door opened and Kirk beheld…himself.

A wide eyed James T. Kirk stepped out of the shuttle and his eyes grew wider still as they beheld him.

 _This is mind-bendingly strange_ , Kirk thought.

Three other very familiar figures stepped out of the shuttle.

Spock…

Scotty…

Uhura…

Kirk stared at them in both fascination and pain.

_I haven’t seen them in three years but…_

He angrily chided himself.

 _You've **never** seen them!_ _They’re **not** the same crew! Remember that, Kirk!_

His eyes widened as another figure stepped from the shuttle.

Another McCoy…

_More and more mind bending._

He nodded politely once all had exited. "Captain Kirk. Welcome to the _Saratoga."_

His double smiled and nodded back. "Captain Kirk. Thank you for having us."

After Kirk had introduced Thelin and Hatcher, his double introduced his staff. "This is my First Officer, Commander Spock.   
My Chief Medical Officer, Doctor McCoy, who I believe you know. My Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Scott.   
And my Chief of Communications, Lieutenant Uhura."

Kirk once again nodded. "I'm familiar with all of your Senior staff, Captain."

 **_Very_ ** _familiar._

He noticed that Spock was gazing at him intently and no doubt formulating all sorts of observations and deductions.

_I’m sure this is all quite fascinating for you, Mr. Spock. No doubt, I’d make an interesting science experiment._

Uhura was staring at him as well.

_Do you find anything you disprove of, Uhura? You were so quick to before._

His eyes warmed as he looked at the other McCoy. "Hello, Doctor. I'm sure that you and my McCoy will have a lot   
to talk about."

The wide eyed doctor nodded. "Should be interestin’."

"This is one wee hangar bay!" Scotty noted. "I'm surprised we were able to fit!"

_Yes, I’m sure this ship is just a ‘wee tub’ in your eyes. And I see that you haven’t changed… still so quick to form opinions._

_Just like…_

Trying to ignore the knife twisting in his chest, he turned toward the door. "If you'll all come with me, the rest of my Senior staff   
have assembled in the Briefing Room."


	16. Hearing what is not said

_Saratoga Corridors  
3:15 PM  
  
"All decks this is the Captain.”  
  
_ Once again everyone on board the _Saratoga_ paused and listened.    
  
_"Both the Saratoga and the Enterprise will be working together to hopefully find away to get them back home.  
The Enterprise Senior staff will be spending a few hours onboard the Saratoga to gather data before returning   
to the Enterprise to continue our collaboration from there. All of you are to give them your full cooperation.  
  
"As I've told my Senior staff I'm now telling you- I'm counting on each and every one of you to give your best.   
The way you always have.  
  
"Kirk out."  
________________________________________  
  
Medical Bay_  
  
Alyen winced. He had done more than just hear the words of his Captain. He had heard the pain in his   
Soul Brother’s voice.  
  
He looked around. There were no patients in sickbay at the moment and it would probably be awhile   
before Dr. McCoy returned.  
  
He glanced over at Belzoni, who discerned his silent question and nodded.  
________________________________________  
  
_Saratoga Botany Bay_  
  
L’Naym closed her eyes. The _Enterprise_ crew would be on the _Saratoga_  for hours and every minute   
they were onboard would be in knife in her Soul Brother’s heart.  
  
Her face set in determination. Most of the coordinated efforts would no doubt take place in Engineering,   
Operations, Communications, Physics and Stellar Sciences. It was doubtful that there would be much work   
done in the Botany Department.  
  
She turned to Rodriguez. “Sir, can I be excused for a few minutes?”  
  
________________________________________  
  
_Saratoga Corridors_  
  
Two Nlians determinedly made their way through the ship’s corridors.  
  
Their Soul Brother needed them both and he needed them now.


	17. Cutting Deeply

"You have a fine ship." After following him to the bridge and silently watching him make the announcement,   
his counterpart was now accompanying him toward Engineering.

_Being with him shouldn't be as bad as being around the others. He didn't turn his back on me,  
after all._

"I know," he replied. "To quote my Chief Engineer: 'She may not look like much but she's got it where   
it counts. But a ship's only as good as its crew."

_You're not the only one proud of your crew._

"Mine might not have gotten the highest scores in the Academy but they've never given anything less   
than their all. Most importantly they've always been there for each other. And me."

_They stitched me back together after…_

His double nodded. "Well, it definitely paid off. I have to admit I was surprised to see a _Delphis_ class  
so deep in space."

_Obviously. I would have been too once upon a time. As far as I was concerned the bigger a ship  
was the better. I was so arrogant and naïve._

"You're in good company. For a long time most people thought that a _Delphis_ class was little more   
than a glorified shuttlepod. I've spent the past two years proving them wrong."

"Well, I guess you convinced Starfleet if you made it all the way out here to the Campor System."

"That I did." He couldn't keep the pride from his voice. "The _Saratoga_ is currently on a Five Year Mission."

His counterpart's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"An extended research survey," he clarified. "We set out last year. We're circumnavigating known space  
something that few ships have attempted and none as small as ours. We dock at the closest base or   
outpost to refuel every six months. We work on the edges of known space." He managed a smile,   
"And occasionally we peek over the edges."

His double grinned back. "If you're anything like me you've probably been peeking more than _occasionally."_

_His grin. It's brighter, more cocky and so much more innocent._

"Guilty as charged. We've already made a few First Contacts. Ever since Nero, Starfleet's been stepping   
up exploration of space big time and ships are being sent out in droves. They're finding new worlds   
and phenomena every day. Someone needs to study them and no one's better at doing that than a   
_Delphis_ class ship. Big ships come in, discover a place and then move on. We come in and take a closer   
look and in the process we make a lot more discoveries.

"This is the furthest we've been out so far. We'd just finished mapping a new area of space that the   
_USS Valiant_ discovered, when Starfleet contacted us and asked us to take a look at a strange anomaly   
their remote sensors had picked up. They had a few misgivings about sending one of the smallest ships   
in the Fleet to check it out, but we were the closest ship in the area."

His double smiled. "Same here."

Kirk took a deep breath. "And what where _you_ doing out this deep in space, Captain Kirk?"

His double gave a proud smile of his own. "The _Enterprise_ is currently on a Five Year Mission of deep   
space exploration."

_A Five Year Mission. What I would have killed to go on once. And on the Enterprise._

He recalled the first time he had seen the Flagship gleaming in the sunlight. He had fallen in love with her   
from the start. Those few months when he had commanded her had been the happiest of his life and sailing  
the stars with her all that he had ever wanted.

_I would still be sailing her now, if only…_

"We set out last year too," his counterpart continued; "Although we've had a few delays and setbacks  
along the way. We were finally getting firmly underway and were just passing the furthest subspace  
relays when Starfleet told us to look at a weird anomaly."

He once again smiled. "We're doing what the _Enterprise_ was meant to do…explore." He paused for   
a moment. "And I can't imagine doing it without my crew at my back."

 _I could tell in the Briefing Room how much your crew means to you. You're close to them.  
Very close. T_ _he way my original crew and I could have been._

The other Kirk's tone was now quiet. "You're right- a ship's only as good as its crew and mine's everything   
that any Captain could ask."

 _Your crew. Your crew never turned their backs on you. Betrayed you. Stabbed you and left you to bleed_.

The knife twisted ever deeper.

His double gave a faint smile. "Is that where your _Enterprise_ is now? Somewhere in deep space on   
a Five Year Mission?"

 _Of course he would assume that_.

The knife twisted again.

"Not quite. She's currently on an extended patrol along the Federation's borders."

The other Kirk's eyebrows shot upward. "Patrol?"

"The _Valiant_ is currently on a Five Year Mission now; she set out earlier this year. Starfleet's planning   
on a second soon; they're going to send the _Aurora_ , which is being constructed now. They're both going   
to spearhead Starfleet's deep space exploration program."

The other Kirk frowned slightly. "They didn't want to send the Flagship?"

"The _Enterprise_ isn't the Flagship anymore."

_She's been in disgrace ever since the 'Incident.'._

"The _USS Excalibur is_. She was launched last year, I attended the ceremony. She mostly serves in diplomatic   
and defensive capabilities. The official bearer of the Federation flag."

He could _smell_ the puzzlement coming off of his counterpart.

_Of course he's going to want to know what happened. And he won't stop pushing until he get's an answer._

"If you don't mind my asking, who's Captain of the _Enterprise_ here?"

"Jason Morrick. You know him?"

"Yeah, he was one of my teachers at the Academy. Strict but fair, always gets his point across.  
I imagine he and this universe's Spock get along great, since he's a real stickler for regulations."

_No doubt. The Spock I know has regulations in his veins. Concern and compassion however..._

The other Kirk paused. "How long have you been in command of the _Saratoga?"_

_I knew this was coming._

He took a breath. "Almost two years. I boarded her for the first time on 2259.0.1. A new start for   
a new year."

"But you _were_ Captain of the _Enterprise_ before?" his double pressed. "On the bridge I noticed you  
said I was _still_ the Captain."

_Trust another me to notice that._

"You're right, I was. After Nero, Pike got promoted to Admiral and I got his ship."

The other Kirk didn't bother to hide his incredulity "You were handed the _Flagship._ And you left after   
less than a year? Why?"

 _Why indeed_.

He felt the knife twisting again.

"Did it have anything to do with Nibiru?" his counterpart asked.

"Nibiru?" Kirk raised an eyebrow. "No. I've never been there." He paused. "Were you on shore leave  
on Stardate 2258.72?"

It was his double's turn to raise an eyebrow now. "Yeah, I was planet-side. Went to a bar, had  
a couple drinks. Nothing big happened though."

_Nothing happened. An ordinary, uneventful shore leave. He went down and had a few drinks,  
then went back to his ship and went on his merry way._

"I see," he said quietly

 _Nothing happened. If I hadn't walked into that particular bar, or those two men hadn't been there...  
_ _Everything would have been different. If only…_

The knife was drawing blood

_I was wrong. It's every bit as bad being around him as the others._

"I take it that something happened to you?" his double asked.

_Something happened all right. Something that ripped my heart out and sent my life spiraling  
straight into Hell._

"Yes…" His voice was a near whisper. "It's the reason I left."

Once again his double was unable to contain his surprise. "Something happened during a _shore leave  
_ that made you decide to leave the _Enterprise?"_

The knife was plunging ever deeper and the pain was becoming searing.

"It's more like what happened _afterwards_ , Captain. And I prefer not to discuss it right now."

"Captain?"

Both Kirks looked up to see two Nlians standing in the passageway watching them.


	18. Love Heals

_Saratoga Hallway_

The two Nlians hurried through the corridors. They had been told by a crewmember that the Captain  
had left the bridge, along with his counterpart, and was now heading toward the Astrophysics lab.

Ahead of them they heard two familiar voices.

"Did it have anything to do with Nibiru?"

"Nibiru? No. I've never been there." A pause. "Were you on shore leave on Stardate 2258.72?"

"Yeah, I was planet-side. Went to a bar, had a couple drinks. Nothing big happened though."

"I see."

They briefly froze. They recognized their Soul Brother’s voice and…the other’s. They also recognized  
the date mentioned and what the conversation was about.

"I take it that something happened to you?"

"Yes…It's the reason I left."

"Something happened during a _shore leave_ that made you decide to leave the _Enterprise?"_

"It's more like what happened _afterwards,_ Captain. And I prefer not to discuss it right now."

They rounded the corner and beheld…Captain James T. Kirk and Captain James T. Kirk.

“Captain?” Alyen said softly.

As the two men paused and turned to them, both Nlians stared. Both Kirks could have been  
identical twins. But the lifemates _knew_ their Soul Brother. Even without touching him they could  
have picked him out from a dozen other Kirks.

This other Kirk…he was him and yet he wasn’t.

He didn’t recognize them- they were nothing but two faceless crewmembers. He had obviously been  
through hardships and trials one couldn't be a Starship Captain and not be. But there was an innocence  
about him, an innocence him that their Soul Brother had lost that tragic night three years ago.  
This other Kirk may have been hurt over the years, but he had never been _betrayed._

He hadn’t gained the same wisdom that their Soul Brother had. He hadn’t had the same sorrows  
or the same joys. He didn't have children under his command. He didn't have two Soul Siblings.  
And he didn't have a nephew on the way.

No he wasn't him.

Their Soul Brother’s gladness to see them was obvious…as was his pain.

"Captain, may we speak to you for a moment?" L'Naym asked earnestly.

He gave his double a nod. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, Captain." He turned back to the Nlians  
and motioned them toward a door. "Let's step in here for a moment, Crewmen."

As soon as the three of them were in the room, L'Naym grabbed him and hugged him tightly.  
"Jim," she whispered. "When we heard what was happening…" She stepped back and looked at him.  
"How are you holding up through all of this?"

"I've been better." His voice was weary.

"What do you need, Soul Brother?" Alyen asked softly.

"Right now, both of you," he whispered.

The lifemates each reached out a hand. Kirk laced his fingers with both of theirs.

_Three Souls briefly touched._

_The Joined Souls felt the depth of the Touched Soul's love for both of them._  
_His love for them…_  
_His gratitude for their presence..._  
_And above all his pain._

 _Pain at the reminder of the past…_  
_Pain at the sight of the vast silver starship, Enterprise._  
_Pain at the sight of its crew._  
_Pain at the sight of his double._  
_Pain at the reminder of what he had lost…_  
_Pain for what might have been._

 _The knife re-plunged._  
_Old wounds reopened and bleeding._

 _The Joined Souls wrapped their arms tightly around the Touched Soul…_  
_Embracing his body as well as his heart and soul._  
_He returned their embrace just as tightly, almost desperately._

_*Feel our love, Soul Brother. Let it heal you.*_

_The Touched Soul felt the depth of the Joined Souls' love for him._  
_Their grief for his pain._  
_Their unwavering support._  
_He drank it like a man dying of thirst being given water._  
_The bleeding slowed and the pain eased._

_The Three Souls spoke what had been their Truth for two years._

_*You are Jim and you are ours.*_

_*You are Shylea and Tuskaro. You are one and you are mine.*_

_The Joined Souls gently drew the Touched Soul’s attention to the tiny life  
growing _ _within the female half._  
_It was still too young to communicate…_  
_But its presence could be felt._  
_A precious little spark of light and being._  
_A precious little spark that all three Souls already loved_. 

 _*We love you, Jim. A_ _nd our son, your nephew, he will love you too.*_

_*You are our brother and you are family.*_

_*I know. And I’m glad.*_

_Love heals and love strengthens._  
_The old wounds were still there and_ _always would be._  
_And they would ache for as long as the other Enterprise as her crew where there._  
_But they were no longer bleeding and t_ _he knife no longer plunging._

_The Three Souls embraced tightly…and then slowly withdrew._

"I need everyone on this ship to pull together and stay strong for now," Kirk whispered  
as he gently disengaged himself from his Soul Siblings. "Hopefully we'll soon find a solution  
to this mess."

"Everyone on this ship is with you, Jim," Alyen said quietly. "You _know_ that."

Kirk smiled. "I do know that, Little bro."

"Let that knowledge, like our love, give you strength," L'Naym whispered.

"It does, Sis. More than you know."

He had his Soul Siblings and he had his crew.  
He could hold everything else as long as they held him.

All three took a moment to compose themselves. Then L'Naym straightened. "Do you have any  
orders for us in particular. Captain?"

Kirk gave another slight smile and then looked at Alyen who had also straightened and was looking  
at him with determination.

"Alyen, get back to Sickbay and help Dr. McCoy in any way you can. I also need you and all the other  
Medical personnel to keep an eye out for anything unusual, health or otherwise. And be your usual  
encouraging self, I'm sure everyone down there will need it.” His eyebrow raised. “ _Especially_ Bones.”

Alyen managed a smile. "Of course, Captain."

"L'Naym, you'll still help in the botanic lab. Every department on this ship will be collecting and going  
over data. Most of it will be from Engineering and Physics, but the other labs might come up with something   
as well. And keep your eyes open; we know that inanimate objects react to the anomaly, there's a chance   
that plants might too.  Your main priority though, will be as morale officer. Do what you can to help   
the crew through this. I'm sure everyone will need as much cheering up as possible."

He had noticed the stares his crew had given the _Enterprise_ crew and he had noticed the tension.    
He definitely wasn't the only one upset.

"Right away, Captain."

The three exited the room and both Nlians headed down the corridor back toward their posts.  
Their Captain had given them jobs to do and they had no intention of letting him down.

The other Kirk watched them curiously. "Who were those two? If you don't mind my asking?"

Kirk paused. "Crewmen Tuskaro Alyen and Shylea L'Naym. Husband and wife. Paramedic and Botanist  
respectively."

"Friends of yours?"

_Friends?_

Kirk's face was expressionless but his voice was anything but. "They’re more than friends, Captain.  
_Much_ more."

Something about his tone let his counterpart know not to press for more info.

 _This is out of your league, Kirk. So don’t stick your nose in it._  


	19. Mind-bendingly strange

_Saratoga Medical Bay_  
_3:30 PM_

Alyen arrived back in sickbay to the sight of Belzoni going over a PADD.

The Head Nurse looked up at him. “Dr. McCoy hasn’t come back yet.” Her voice quieted.  
“Did you see the Captain?”

He nodded. “All of this has upset him. Badly,” he said softly. “But he’s strong, he’ll get through this.”

Belzoni nodded sadly. “Hopefully, we all will.”

Any other comment she might have made was cut off as the turbolift doors opened to reveal…

Dr. Leonard McCoy…And Dr. Leonard McCoy.

Both Belzoni and Alyen stared.  The two men could have been identical twins. Even their uniforms  
were…no not quite. Alyen, always good at observation, noticed that their pants were slightly   
different, but the difference was minor.

Both doctors were staring at each other now and both wore almost identical perplexed scowls.

"Jim, said this was strange,” one of them, the _Enterprise_ CMO, said finally. “Try _mind-bendingly_ strange."

"That's for sure," McCoy managed.

Alyen silently agreed and knew from her expression, that Belzoni felt the same.

The other doctor took a breath. "I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If anything happens  
to MY Captain, he will be treated by _me_ and _only_ by me. _Not_ some doppelganger."

McCoy raised an eyebrow. "This is _my_ sickbay. Hell, this is my _universe_. Here you and your friends  
are the doppelgangers."

"Don't remind me." His double glanced around. "This is one tiny sickbay."

McCoy’s face darkened slightly. "It suits our needs and I'll thank you not to insult it.   
Lives have been saved here and crewmembers have _died_ here."

The other McCoy actually flushed slightly. "Sorry," he muttered.

 _He’s stressed_. Alyen noted. _How can he not be? He’s been ripped from his own universe_.

He couldn’t even imagine how he would react if this had happened to him. If he were separated   
from his beloved…from their baby…

McCoy nodded and his expression grew slightly warmer. "We've got a few hours, let’s get started."   
He motioned to Alyen and Belzoni.  “This is my Head Nurse, Diana Belzoni and Medical Assistant,  
Tuskaro Alyen."

He handed Belzoni the PADDs he was carrying. “Belzoni, my… double and I are going to be in   
the Medlab. I need you to pull up as much biomedical data as you can from our records and transfer   
them to these PADD’s."

He turned to Alyen. “Alyen, you’ll help. Both ships are running ongoing sensor sweeps of that crazy   
anomaly out there. Run it through our computers and note anything that might be medically relevant.”   
He snorted. "As if anything about cosmic doorways that open between infinite universes _wouldn't_   
be relevant to one's physical and mental health."

Alyen nodded. “I’ll put Bower’s lessons to good use, sir.”

While the two doctors made their way to the lab, Alyen caught the eye of the newcomer. “It’s an honor  
to meet you. Dr McCoy,” he said softly.

 


	20. A friendship that will define you

_Botanic Lab  
_ _4:15 PM_

Rodriguez handed L’Naym a PADD. “Shylea, could you take this to Commander Falno right away?  
He’s in Stellar Cartography now.”

L’Naym nodded and took the PADD. Since the _Enterprise_ crew had arrived, all of the Departments had  
been intensely collecting and going over data. As she had assumed, most of the action was taking place  
in Engineering, Operations, Physics and Stellar Sciences. But the other Departments were busy too.  
The _Saratoga_ was getting ready to launch another probe toward the anomaly, and both the Biology  
and Botanical Departments where preparing samples to send with it.

As she wandered through the corridors she noted the mood of her fellow crewmates. Everyone was  
professional, focused and determined.

And upset as well.

The _Saratoga_ was a small and close knit crew and fiercely loyal to their Captain. All of them know  
how badly the _Enterprise Incident_ had scarred him. And all of them knew how badly this new _Enterprise_  
was affecting him now.

But their Captain had given all of them a task and all of them were determined to _not_ do what  
the _Enterprise_ crew had done years ago…let their Captain down.

* * *

_Stellar Cartography Bay_

L’Naym exited the turbolift and made her way to the Stellar Cartography Bay. She had always enjoyed  
visiting both it and the Astrophysics Lab; they reminded her of the vast observatory in Oslamth that she  
had so loved to visit in her youth.

When she entered the chamber she noticed Lieutenant Commander Falno, Head of Stellar Sciences.  
He was involved in an intense conversation with Commander Thelin and…she paused in recognition…  
Commander Spock.

She took a breath and made her way over to Falno. “Sir. Commander Rodriguez told me to give this  
to you, right away,” she said softly. 

Falno nodded and took the PADD. After briefly looking through it he handed it back to L’Naym  
and called over to another officer. “Silverstein, download this and transfer over files A-79, C-24  
and H-10.”

“Yes, sir.”

L’Naym silently made her way over to the consol where Lieutenant Abigail Silverstein sat. She managed  
a slight smile as she approached, a smile which Silverstein returned. Both women were good friends;  
Silverstein was passionate about stellar dynamics and also had an interest in botany. L’Naym, while plants  
would always be her first love, had always had a deep interest in the stars. The two had bonded as a result  
and over the years had conducted several projects and studies together.

“ _Shalom,”_ Silverstein whispered as she the Nlian arrived at her side.

 _“Shalom,”_ L’Naym returned. Exchanging the ancient Hebrew greeting had become a longstanding habit  
between them.

Silverstein took the PADD and looked over it. “This will take a few minutes.”

L’Naym nodded and moved closer. “How have things been down here?” she whispered so as not  
to interrupt the other officers’ conversation.

“ _Very_ busy.” Silverstein answered. “Commander Falno’s constantly moving back and forth between  
here and Astrophysics. Commander Thelin’s been in here a lot too, although he’s spending most  
of his time in Physics.”

“What have they found so far?”

“A _lot_ of stuff about that anomaly.” She glanced at the anomaly’s image which was being displayed  
on the vast viewscreen.

"That anomaly isn't just a portal to _one_ reality. Its a portal to _every_ reality The _Enterprise_ can't just  
fly back into it, they have to set a precise course. Also we're still not sure what affect flying through  
it might have on them and their ship.

“The Departments are focusing on three main things right now: finding out the physical effects of  
the anomaly on organic matter, finding ways to enhance the _Enterprise’s_ shields while near or _in_ it,  
and identifying the unique quantum signatures of each of our realities. The theory is that every reality  
has its own quantum signature, its own ‘fingerprint’."

“And they need to find the _Enterprise_ reality’s ‘fingerprint’.”

“Exactly.”

As the download continued L’Naym glanced back over at Falno, Thelin and Spock.

She had encountered Vulcans before; growing up she'd seen a few on Nlia. And of course there  
had been Jim’s mentor, Ambassador Spock.

The elderly Vulcan had called Jim regularly and the two had struck a close friendship; Jim had  
mentioned once that the Ambassador had become almost a father-like figure to him. She had  
found it ironic that while one Spock had hurt her Soul Brother so badly, another version of him  
would become a close friend and mentor.

Earlier that year Jim had been notified that the Ambassador was dying and asking for him. He had  
immediately taken the _Saratoga_ and had headed to New Vulcan where he had spent three days  
in the dying Vulcan’s company.

During that time, much to her surprise, the Ambassador had asked to see both her and her lifemate.

* * *

_*Flashback*_

_4/17/2261  
 _ _New Vulcan  
_ _Residence of Ambassador Spock_

 _Upon beaming down to the Ambassador's home, Jim had led them both to the elderly_ _Vulcan’s  
bedside. The Ambassador had silently gazed at the Nlians for several moments before speaking._

 _“Jim’s path…is different here,” he whispered haltingly. “Every reality…has its own path.  
_ _In my reality…_ _Leonard and myself were always at his side. That…is not the case here.  
Here…it is Leonard..._ _and the two of you .” He paused. “Jim…chose well in you both._  
_Thank you…for being there for him.”_

_He had paused and coughed for a few seconds before continuing. “Cherish…your friendship always…  
For it will define…all three of you… in ways that you do not yet realize.”_

_*End Flashback*_

* * *

L’Naym forced her thoughts back to the present.

The Ambassador had been right. The bond she and her lifemate shared with their Soul Brother  
had changed and enriched all three of them.

She thought about her universe’s Spock. Jim had told her and Tuskaro that, according  
to the Ambassador, in the elderly Vulcan’s reality Kirk and Spock had been best friends.  
As close as brothers.

Here…because of mistakes and misunderstandings that wasn’t the case and never would be.

She had seen Jim's soul. She _knew_ him. And she knew that there was no better person to have  
as a Captain, as a brother and...she thought lovingly of her unborn son...as an uncle.

Her thoughts turned to the other Spock, somewhere in space on the now disgraced former Flagship.

 _I pity you Commander Spock_ , she thought sadly. _You have no idea what you threw away._ _What you lost._

She looked over at the other Spock who was now talking to Thelin.

An elderly Spock from one reality.

A second Spock from this reality.

And now a third Spock from yet another.

It was all enough to make her head spin.

“It’s done.”

Silverstein’s voice startled her and she glanced over to see her holding the PADD out.  
Murmuring her thanks, she quickly took it from her friend’s hand.

As she made her way toward the door, she once again gazed at the Vulcan. _I hope that you  
haven’t made the same mistakes that your counterpart here did._


	21. Take care of yourselves

_Saratoga Medical Bay  
_ _10:30 PM_

"You should get some rest," McCoy said quietly.

Alpha shift had long since ended but both Belzoni and Alyen had remained at sickbay to help in any way   
they could during this entire incredible, painful situation.

"Are _you_ going to be resting, Doctor?" Alyen asked.

McCoy snorted. "I doubt that any of the Senior staff will be doing much of that tonight."

Alyen knew that was definitely true. Every Department on both the _Saratoga_ and the _Enterprise_ was working  
around the clock studying the anomaly and trying to find a safe way for the _Enterprise_ to return home.

McCoy had insisted that his staff take a break to eat, although he himself had remained in Medbay.  
While in the Mess Hall, Alyen had briefly reunited with his lifemate. She'd been excused from regular  
duty after Alpha Shift, but had spent the time since trying to encourage and/or help other crewmates  
in whatever way she could. In fact, he'd arrived to find her singing a Cheering Song to three crewmembers  
in an attempt to lift their spirits. When he left the Mess Hall he'd brought back a plate for the doctor,  
which the CMO had accepted with quiet thanks.

Although it was late at night, all of the Senior staff were still up, with the exception of Akari and Arex;  
Jim had ordered them to take breaks because he'd wanted whoever was at Helm or Navigation to be fully  
rested with all reflexes sharp.

Lieutenant Akari.

Alyen shuddered when he thought about what could have happened if it weren't for their Helmsman.  
He would have to thank him personally for moving the _Saraotga_ out of danger earlier when the anomaly  
first expanded.

Since then, both the _Saratoga_ and the _Enterprise_ had moved back even further, but as unpredictable as  
that thing was, he knew he'd be on edge until they were well away from here. From the subtle tension  
that crept through their Bond he knew that his lifemate felt the same.

The _Enterprise_ staff had returned to their ship after a few hours on board the _Saratoga,_ but they hadn't  
gone alone; several engineers, including Commander Filars, had accompanied them to assist in repairs.  
As tense as the mood had been onboard the _Saratoga_ with the _Enterprise_ crew, Alyen wondered how  
difficult it would be for Saratogans on board the massive Flagship.

And if any other of the _Enterpris_ e crew now knew the truth.

While the other Dr McCoy had been onboard, both doctors had worked together, exchanging data,  
and studying the physical effects of the anomaly. Probes launched from both ships containing biological  
samples had indicated that while 'entanglement' affected machines, it didn't seem to affect biological  
matter. Nobody from the _Enterprise_ seemed to have suffered from their trip through it. And Ambassador  
Spock had never seemed to suffer ill effects from his trip though a similar anomaly.

At some point though, the _Enterprise_ CMO had asked McCoy for comparative scans of the Captain's DNA.  
Although McCoy had been willing he had naturally wanted to know why. This had led to a conversation  
about some of the events of the other _Enterprise's_ reality.

Alyen hadn't been eavesdropping, but since he was right there in the room, running data, he couldn't help  
but hear their conversation. From what both McCoy's discussed, it was obvious that the other Captain Kirk  
had had a very different life from his Soul Brother.

And then the other McCoy had said something that had made him freeze.

_"Looks like your Jim's had it pretty easy."_

Alyen had stiffened. He'd gripped the PADD he was holding so tightly he was surprised it didn't break  
and felt unfamiliar anger sweep through him.

 _Easy._ This other Dr. McCoy thought that Jim's life had been _easy!?_

He'd managed to keep himself from confronting the other doctor, but his CMO had had no such constraints.  
He had been furious.

_"Easy!? Don't think that my Jim's life has been all peaches and cream! Because it sure has hell hasn't!"_

He had turned to Alyen and none to gently handed him another PADD _. "Go help Belzoni run this data through.  
__**Dr. McCoy**_ _and I are going to have a little conversation."_

Wordlessly Alyen had taken the PADD and gone into the other room.

When shortly afterwards the two doctors had come out as well, he'd been able to tell from the slightly  
pale expression on the _Enterprise_ McCoy's face that the conversation had shocked and upset him.

 _Both your Jim and mine have had very different lives, Doctor,_ he had thought. _And nothing about my_  
_Soul Brother's life has been easy._

McCoy's tired voice brought his thoughts back to the present.

"I'll be staying near Medbay tonight in case anything new turns up. I'll catch a nap later." He frowned  
slightly. "I'd better set up a cot for Jim, because I _know_ that there's no way he'll be going to his quarters  
tonight."

Alyen was certain of that as well. He _knew_ his Soul Brother. "I'll help."

The two of them got a cot from storage and made their way with it toward the Ready Room to set it up.  
Alyen had commed Shylea and when they arrived she was waiting for them. While the two men set up  
the cot, she placed a small vase of _keolla_ flowers on the desk. The flowers gave off a sweet smell that  
helped one to relax. After the cot was set up, she put a pillow and blanket on it.

McCoy pulled out his comm. "Jim, there's a cot set up in your Ready Room. I expect you to _use it_ at some point."

 _'_ _Thanks, Bones,"_ came the reply.

McCoy put away his comm. and stifled a yawn.

L'Naym looked at him with concern. "Would you like me to make you a herbal drink, Doctor?" she asked.

McCoy shook his head. "Thanks but no. I'll grab something from the Mess." He gave her an appraising look.  
"It's getting late, you should turn in." Pregnant Nlians needed plenty of rest.

He turned to Alyen. "You too." Pregnant females rested better with their lifemates nearby; their Bond soothed  
not only the mother but the unborn child as well.

"Are you sure there's nothing else we can help with, Doctor?" Alyen asked softly.

" _Go._ You guys have been helping take care of others all day. Go take care of _yourselves_ for awhile,  
while it's still relatively quiet."


	22. Something's Happened

_8/22/2261  
__Alyen and L’Naym’s Quarters_  
6:10 AM

Nlians were by nature a gentle and peaceful race. But they were _anything_ but weak; one couldn’t   
survive in a harsh desert world without strength, intelligence and, above all, awareness.

All Nlians had an acute awareness of their environment and they were _very_ good at sensing danger.  
Pregnant Nlians’ senses were particularly heightened when it came to something that might affect  
them or their young.

So when L’Naym jerked awake from a sound sleep…she _knew_ that something had happened with the ship.

Alyen awoke beside her. “Beloved? What is it?”

L’Naym looked around. “I…don’t know. Something’s happened.”

There were no alarms, but Alyen wasn’t about to doubt his lifemate’s instincts. He reached over for  
the COMM near his side of the bed. He would have liked to have called Jim, but immediately shoved  
that thought aside. If something was happening to the ship, their Captain didn’t need to be distracted  
and neither did Dr. McCoy or any other senior officers.  
   
He thought quickly.

_Crewmen Ceron._

Yes, Antir Ceron from Security. At 6’3 the Moaven was regarded as strongman by the crew and a gentle  
giant by the children. The Nlians had become acquainted with him as a result of their mutual bond with   
young people. He was currently assigned to Gamma Shift. He might know what was going on.

Alyen flipped open the COMM. “Alyen to Ceron.”

 _“Ceron here,”_ came the reply _._  

“Ceron, do you know if anything’s happening with the ship right now?”

_“Something’s happened all right. That anomaly started expanding again.”_

Both Nlians stiffened. L’Naym’s hand went protectively to her stomach.

_“We weren’t close to it when it happened, but Helm still moved us back further. I just spoke with Kissi  
down in Sensors. She says that readings have gone off the scale.”_

“Thank you.” Alyen flipped the comm shut.

L’Naym was starting to get up. “We may as well get dressed, Beloved. Neither of us are going to get  
anymore sleep.”

Alyen nodded. It was only three hours to the beginning of Alpha shift and extra hands would no doubt  
be appreciated in sickbay. Rodriguez had told L’Naym not to come back to the labs before her shift,  
but there were no doubt crewmembers who could use encouragement until them.

Whatever happened they would face it openly with the rest of their crew. They would help this ship,  
and their Soul Brother, in any small way that they could. 


	23. You have a fine crew

_Captain’s Log_  
_Stardate 2261.8.23_  
_06:45 hours_

 _At 06:10 hours the anomaly once again expanded, even more than it had previously. It once again_  
_retracted after several minutes, but we noticed that it was now smaller than it had originally been_  
_and a lot more turbulent._

_Based on our combined readings, both ships have been able to determine that while the anomaly  
constantly _ _fluctuates, sudden expansion and then retraction is an indication of instability.  
That thing is beginning _ _to destabilize and we estimate that it will begin to dissipate within fourteen hours._

_That thing being gone would make everyone here on the Saratoga feel better. The whole ship  
has been _ _tense, and not just from the Enterprise. Knowing that there’s an anomaly nearby that  
can throw you into _ _another universe would make anyone nervous._

_But if it goes now the Enterprise will be stuck here. Which will open up a whole new can of worms._  
_So there is no escape from tension._

 _But with tension is determination. Both ships have been working non-stop to indentify the unique  
quantum_ _signatures to each of our realities. Both our scientists and the Enterprise's, along with  
Commander Spock _ _and Ensign Chekov. They're guardingly optimistic._

 _I remember Spock's brilliance, he wasn't selected Chief Science Officer of the Flagship for nothing._  
_All other candidates had only half of his qualifications. And Chekov. I remember how I was sometimes_  
_in awe of the things he could do with computers and calculations. It's not everyone who can count_  
_the variables for emergency transport quicker than a computer_

 _Yes, with the Enterprise crew one can always rely on their brilliance, if nothing else ._  
A _nd if they say that there's a good chance I won't doubt it._

* * *

  _09:30 hours_

 _Good news. Our ships have successfully discovered the correct frequencies. Both Ensign Chekov  
__and Lieutenant Arex have since been working on ways for the Enterprise to set a course.  
Chekov __(or his counterpart) was one of Arex’s students while he taught at the Academy_  
and the two work well together.

 _Engineering and Operations have also been busy sending over data and suggestions about further  
enhancing _ _the Enterprise’s shields. I've seen that anomaly from the outside and sensor readings  
of it on the inside and _ _I do NOT envy the Enterprise having to go in it again. But it’s the only way.  
To reach a goal you sometimes_ _just have to take the plunge. You have to go through the obstacle  
or circumstance and come out the other end. _ _No going back, only forward._

* * *

 _12:45 PM_  
_Arex and Chekov have completed all adjustments and the Enterprise has laid in a course._  
_They're now busy with last minute preparations and everyone on both ships is holding  
their breaths._

* * *

 _Ready Room_  
_1:20 PM_

Kirk sat at his desk having a last minute conversation with his counterpart via viewscreen.

"There's no telling how long our shields will hold up inside that thing, even with the enhancements,"  
his counterpart said.

"We'll keep our comms open," Kirk answered. "M'Ress and Uhura have been working with Operations  
to boost communications between our ships. We're hopeful that with the enhancements we should  
be able to maintain contact with you while in the anomaly and hopefully for a few minutes after."

His counterpart nodded and silently gazed at him.

Kirk knew what was going through his mind. He had known that it was only a matter of time before  
the _Enterprise_ crew, especially their Captain, figured out what happened.  Bones had told him  
of the _discussion_ he had had with his counterpart. Filars had had a similar conversation with Scotty  
while onboard the Enterprise and M’Ress with Uhura.

But even if they hadn’t said anything to their Captain yet, he had known from the start that any double  
of him would be as relentless as a bulldog once he wanted to find out something. His counterpart had  
known that he had once been in command of the Flagship, but had left after a very brief time.  
He also knew that _something_ had taken place during a shore leave on Stardate 2258.72?

He had contacted his Chief of Communications and given her instructions. Some hours later when  
the _Enterprise_ Kirk had attempted to access the _Saratoga’s_ files she had been ready.

 _"Can I assist you with something, Captain_?" she’d asked.

The other Kirk had looked a bit sheepish but unapologetic. " _Yes Lieutenant. I need access to your ship's_  
_records regarding news and current event reports from the period around the year 2258.”_

 _"Captain Kirk said that you’d be interested in those records. He left instructions that if you inquired you_  
_were to be given access because you'd just hack them otherwise."_

So the other Kirk had looked through the files and had seen the headlines and reports.

HERO COMES OUT – 'I WAS RAPED.'

FAMOUS STARFLEET CAPTAIN RAPED DURING SHORE LEAVE

THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT

DISGRACEFUL ACTIONS OF ENTERPRISE CREW

CAPTAIN KIRK LEAVES THE ENTERPRISE

FLAGSHIP CREW DISGRACED AND CENSURED

LESSONS FROM 'THE INCIDENT’

REORGANIZATION OF STARSHIP CREWS

Yeah, he had seen it all. And it had no doubt sent him reeling.  
   
His counterpart took a breath. "Jim…" he began; "I'm sorry about what happened to you."

Kirk nodded.  "So was I,” he said quietly. “But I've learned to move on." Their eyes met.  
"I've built a new life for myself. A good life.”

He recalled the words of Tolliver when they had spoken in the Lounge just before the anomaly  
expanded again.

 _"The way I see it, Jim, one shouldn't dwell on the what if's, but what is. You shouldn't focus on_ _what  
you had but on what you have. And when tragedy comes…you should to try to make something _  
_good come out of it."_

He thought of his crew. Bones. His Soul Siblings. His unborn nephew. His _family._

"A life that I wouldn't trade for _anything."_

"I'm glad," the other Kirk said softly. "You've got a fine crew."

He was silent for a moment. "So do you."


	24. Both Counts

_Saratoga Botany Bay_  
_4:15 PM_

L’Naym took a deep breath.

The _Enterprise_ was gone.

At exactly 1:25 PM it had departed. L’Naym and the others in the Botany Department, even Rodriguez,  
had gone to the nearby windows to watch. She had felt her stomach clench as the silver ship vanished  
into the red chaotic depths of the anomaly.

“It’s just a matter of waiting now,” Rodriguez had said solemnly. ‘They’ve rigged two way communication  
between both ships. Hopefully we’ll know something soon.”

Several tense minutes later the Captain had made a ship wide announcement that the _Enterprise_ had  
safely made it back to its reality.

It had seemed that everyone on the ship had let out a long exhale.

Nobody had been happy about the _Enterprise_ being here. But nobody had wished harm to come to them either.

The anomaly…she had heard Commander Thelin refer to it as a Quantum Storm … had dissipated not long  
afterwards.  She had felt a surge of relief and knew that everyone else felt the same.

The _Saratoga_ was now slowly moving away from the area at impulse so as to monitor for any further changes.  
They would be going to warp tomorrow.

Not soon enough as far as she was concerned. The Quantum Storm might be gone but who knew if it might  
come back or what affect it might have if it did? The Captain had ordered warning beacons left behind to steer  
any ships clear of the area and she knew that she wouldn’t be the only one breathing a sigh of relief when they  
were far away.

The rest of the ship was still cataloging all of the data collected and filling out reports, but she could sense  
that everyone was going through the slow exhale after a storm.

And this had been quite a storm for everyone.

Which is why she had a request for Commander Thelin. The Andorian had a knack for being everywhere at  
once and he had once again come to the Botany Labs where he was going over some data with Rodriguez.

She waited until he had finished his discussion before approaching. “Commander, may I have a word?”

* * *

 _Captain’s Ready Room_  
_4:15 PM_

Kirk let out a sigh. Since the _Enterprise’s_ departure he’d been busy, either on the bridge, visiting all  
the Departments, or talking to personnel. Not to mention having a few subspace meetings with  Starfleet  
Command. He’d been ordered to take the Saratoga to Starbase Sigma. While there he'd confer with  
Starfleet about what happened and share the data collected about the anomaly.

This is big, he thought. We've studied a strange anomaly and encountered beings from a parallel reality.

He was now taking the time to go over some reports. Now that the immediate crisis was finally over,  
things were finally slowly down. But there was still subtle tension which he knew wouldn’t leave until  
they were far away from here and would probably continue for quite awhile after that.

In the meantime he had ordered his Senior staff to take well deserved breaks after this shift was over.  
He knew that tonight a lot of people would enjoy long sleeps in their own quarters.

He looked up as the chime sounded. “Come in.”

His expression lightened as his Soul Sister entered. “Shylea. Have a seat.”

“Captain,” she said softly. “I had a formal request that I wanted to make. When I spoke to Commander  
Thelin about it, he said that it was alright to ask you directly, since you were going over some reports.”

“We may still be on duty but there’s no need to be formal, Sis,” he said warmly.

She let out an exhale. “I’m glad. I know how busy you’ve been. And how busy you _still will be_ for awhile.”

“Tell me about it. Starfleet’s going _nuts_ over everything that’s happened. But what did you want to ask?”

“The whole crew’s been on edge since this entire incident started. We’re leaving the area where  
the anomaly was, but there’s still a lot of tension and probably will be for the next few days. I wanted  
your permission to put a potluck dinner together for the crew.”

Kirk’s eyes widened and then he smiled in appreciation at his informal morale officer. “I think that’s  
a great idea, Shylea. These past few days have been beyond stressful on everyone and a potluck will  
do us all a world of good. Go right ahead and start putting it together. I’ll bring the hamburgers."  
He chuckled. _"If_ I can manage not to burn them.”

She smiled and then quickly became serious. “And how are _you,_ Jim?”

Wordlessly he reached out his hands. Without hesitating she took them.

 _Two Souls touched._  
_A Joined Soul and a Soul that she and her Other Half had touched._

 _*They were only here for two days, Shylea. But it feels like a lifetime. This took quite a toll on me._  
_I’ve been thinking over and over about other realities and what might have been. And that hurt…_ _a lot.*_

 _The Touched Soul shared his pain._  
_The Joined Soul poured out her love and support._

 _*You and Tuskaro helped me more than you’ll ever know.* The Touched Soul poured out his love_  
and gratitude. *You and the entire crew. I know Thelin told you it was ok to see me because he   
thought it would cheer me up. The whole crew's been hovering close. I wish I had a credit for   
every concerned look I've gotten or someone asking me if I was alright.*

 _*You are our Captain, Jim,* the Joined Soul responded. *And our friend. We’re all with you._ _We all  
love you. Part of the reason the crew was so tense was because they knew how badly __all of this_  
_was hurting you.*_

 _*I know. Last night I was talking to Tolliver_ _and he helped me put a lot of things into perspective.  
When the Enterprise showed up I spent too __much time thinking about what I **had** and not enough   
appreciating what I **have.** And what I have __is the best crew  that anyone could_ _ever ask for_.*

 _The Touched Soul squeezed the Joined Soul’s hands. *And I also have the best brother and sister_  
_that anyone could ask for. How have **you** been Shylea? You and the baby? I know that you’ve _ _been  
stressed too.*_

 _The Joined Soul smiled reassuringly *We’re both fine, Jim.  Not long after the Enterprise left,  
Dr. McCoy _ _had me come down to sickbay so he could run a few more scans.*_

_*That’s good.*_

_*I’ve already made one request, Captain. Can I make another?*_

_*By all means.*_

_*I hope you’ll be taking a break once this shift is over.*_

_*Oh yeah. The whole Senior Staff will. Bones told me he'll probably sleep straight through until tomorrow.*_

_*In that case, Captain, I’d like you to join Tuskaro and me and for dinner tonight. I know that you_  
_could use with a home-cooked meal. And a well-fed, well-rested Captain is good for morale too.*_

_The Touched Soul chuckled. *I will consider that an order, Sis.*_

* * *

  _“All decks this is the Captain._  
  
_“When the Enterprise first appeared I asked you to put all of your skills and expertise into finding_  
_a way to help them get return to their reality. And that’s exactly what you did. Even though this_  
_was a perplexing and difficult time for all of us, you all performed admirably, as you always have._  
_You all gave your best as you always have. And I thank you for that._

 _“I want all of you to know how proud I am of all of you. But even more, how grateful I am to all of you._  
_For being there for me as you’ve always been. For being the finest crew that any Captain could ask for._

 _“Captain Jason Morrick can have his Enterprise and the other Kirk can have his. As far as I'm concerned_  
_I've got the far better deal on both counts._

_“Kirk out.”_

 

 


	25. Shared in Silence

_9/5/2261_  
_Alyen and L’Naym’s Quarters_  
_1:15 AM_

L’Naym awakened from a light sleep and stretched. She glanced over at the clock and noted the time: 1:15 AM

Her slightly dry mouth and feelings of thirst reminded her of why she had awakened. Dr McCoy had explained  
that increased thirst was a common response due to the increase in blood volume that pregnant women of many  
species, (Human and Nlian included) experienced.

Careful not to wake her sleeping lifemate, she reached over to the glass and small pitcher that had been placed  
next to her side of the bed for the purpose and poured herself some water. The water was kept mostly frozen  
during the day and put beside her before she went to bed so that it would be cool in case she needed a drink.

After finishing her drink she lay back down, her thoughts drifting to the past several days.

After leaving the Campor System and the site of the Quantum Storm, the _Saratoga_ had spent four days  
traveling to Starbase Sigma. They day before they arrived they had the potluck dinner she’d organized.   
Everyone had enjoyed it and she had been able to see and feel the tension easing out of the crew as they   
reaffirmed their ties with each other. Her heart had especially gladdened to see her Soul Brother laugh,   
the shadows of the _Enterprise_ fading. It was her greatest joy…to give joy to others.

After two days at Sigma, the _Saratoga_ had departed for their original intended destination, the Keelon   
System. The _USS Leonidas_ had flown by it during its maiden voyage and their scans had detected   
tantalizing life signs.

The life signs had become apparent to the _Saraotga_ two days after they’d arrived. The system had six  
planets, mostly gas giants, and a large asteroid belt. None of the planets or their moons were inhabited,   
but the asteroid belt was apparently a feeding ground for an incredible species of spaceborne lifeforms.

Of all the many lifeforms that the _Saratoga_ had encountered this was one of the types that L’Naym found  
the most incredible.

 _What is it like?,_ she had often wondered. _To soar among the stars without needing a ship and to have_  
_the entire universe as one’s home?_

The encounter had reminded her lifemate of the spaceborne lifeforms he had encountered during his   
first away-mission two years previously. Although these lifeforms were very different from the tiny   
ones he had seen.

They were much larger, about the size of a shuttlecraft. Their heads resembled Earth jellyfish, but they   
had long snakelike bodies. Their bodies were mostly black, but their heads had bioluminescent stripes   
of blue which they apparently used them to communicate with each other by changing hues and brightness.   
They were able to travel at faster than light. When they were about to do, so their entire bodies would   
glow before streaking away.

So far they had seen two dozen of them.  Their scientists didn’t think that they were native to this system.  
From what they could tell they seemed to be nomads and the asteroid field was a favored feeding spot   
during their regular migrations. Each day new ones arrived while others left.

Starfleet was exited. There had been countless transmissions between the _Saratoga_ and dozens of different   
scientists on dozens of Federation worlds

The crew was excited. It was just what they’d needed- getting back to being a science vessel again.

Jim had been especially excited because this was just what he’d needed- the chance to get back to taking   
a closer look and making new discoveries. In fact he had left yesterday for a twenty four hour away-mission  
with the _Waverider_ , in order to get an even _closer_ look

She chuckled silently. Her Soul Brother would use any excuse to take out the _Waverider_. He loved to   
fly his ‘baby’, as he called it.

Her thoughts turned, as they always did now, to her unborn baby.

It had been exactly sixteen weeks,(four months) since the Mating had struck and her child conceived.  
Human mothers normally didn’t start to feel their children moving inside them until 18-24 weeks   
(four to six months). Nlian mothers started feeling them much sooner, not physically but telepathically.

She extended her senses and smiled as she felt her son. He had been sleeping but had come awake  
in a sudden burst of movement. He was still too small to be felt physically, but he came through loud  
and clear telepathically and she reveled in the feel of the tiny soul.

L’Naym felt her child doing a lazy somersault inside of her and love and pride filled her. _*My precious_  
_little one_ ,* she silently said to the tiny presence. * _You’ll be a strong one, won’t you?*_  

Something as delicate as the touch of a moth’s wing brushed against her.

She froze, all of her attention focused inwards on the tiny spark within her. Until now all of her Soul  
touches had been silently absorbed but now…

_The Joined Soul once again reached out…_

_A tiny Soul reached back to her._  
_Nothing verbal….a simple brush of awareness._  
_A baby feeling his mother’s touch and reaching back._

She gasped, tears of joy coming to her eyes. _*Beloved!!*_ she cried.

Alyen jolted awake beside her.  _*Beloved? What is it?*_

* _The baby!*_ she put his hands on her stomach. _*I heard him! Our son touched me! He can communicate now!*_  
 She laughed from sheer joy.

His hands on his lifemate's belly, Alyen concentrated.

 _Another Joined Soul gently reached out..._  
_And felt pure joy as he too felt a tiny Soul respond._

The lifemates both felt their unborn child do another turn and then settle back to sleep. Afterwards  
they lay awake in each others’ arms, celebrating the event in silence.

Not all discoveries were found on the bridge of a ship, some were quiet but every bit as profound.  
Some were trumpeted all over Starfleet, while others were shared in silence.

When their Soul Brother came back they would share their joy with him, but this moment was theirs alone.


	26. Small Details

_Captain's Log_  
_Stardate 2261.9.19_

 _Earlier this year the Federation made contact with a species called the Zaneem, who've only recently developed_  
_Warp Drive. They live in a remote area of space and their ships are only capable of Warp 1. The USS Tereshkova,_  
_which was on a deep space survey, was their First Contact. While other Starfleet vessels have been handling_  
_the diplomatic matters, we are assisting them in another, vitally important one._

 _The Zaneem homeworld is severely overpopulated. Large numbers of them live on large orbiting space stations,_  
_but that's only a stop gap measure; they desperately need to establish a planetary colony to relieve their excess_  
_population. Their planet is the only one in their system and their large moon is class Y, saturated with toxic_  
_chemicals and deadly radiation._

 _Their scientists discovered an another M class world in a system five light years from theirs, but at Warp 1_  
_getting there was a five year trip. They sent a large survey team to it seven years ago and they've been studying_  
_it for nearly two years, as well as establishing an outpost. The long range plan is to have the team perform_  
_surveys for another three years and then to send a 'Seed ship', containing about 10,000 people with more_  
_to follow every ten years._

 _We've already brought an additional team and equipment from the Zaneem homeworld to the colony_  
_planet, which the Zaneem have named 'Areeva' which means 'New Hope'. Our higher warp capabilities_  
_brought them here in a much shorter time._

 _Our mission now is to assist the survey team in their studies and help them with the establishment of their_  
_outposts. We've been here for about four days so far and are scheduled to stay for another three weeks._

 _Once again we're doing work that might be unnoticed and unsung, but is critically important. The Tereshkova_  
_will be lauded for making the First Contact and other ships for forming diplomatic ties. The Saratoga's work_  
_may not be mentioned, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I know the worth of my ship and crew_  
_and our work is important even if nobody cheers._

_James T. Kirk_

* * *

 

 _Surface of Areeva_  
_Zaneem Survey Outpost_  
_3:40 PM_

"There were fifty scientists and engineers in our initial survey group." Dr. Kolasha explained. "Our task  
was to study and monitor all forms of life on this planet and prepare for the first wave of colonists."

Areeva orbited the outer edge of the system's habitability zone, but due to its dense atmosphere it had  
a potent greenhouse effect, resulting in surface temperatures only slighter cooler than Earth's. Large ice  
caps covered the polar oceans, but in the temperate bands the climate was mild.  
   
Unlike Earth, which had several large continents separated by deep oceans, Areeva had one supercontinent  
which was broken up with many landlocked seas and fjords. The survey team had established their  
main encampment at the equator near one of the inland seas.

Kolasha's long grey four digited finger pointed to various areas of the three dimensional map he and Kirk  
were studying. "We've established the main outpost here, at what will be the initial site of the colony and  
this is where we're concentrating our main studies. However they're planning to send future seed ships  
to different areas of the planet, so we've established smaller outposts in different areas, including close  
to the ice caps. The additional personal you've bought will be extremely helpful."

"Always glad to be of assistance," Kirk smiled. "We'll bring additional complements from the homeworld  
before our mission here is over."

"Excellent. With them we should be able to establish some outposts here and here..."

Later, after he and the Zaneem doctor had finished their discussion, Kirk made his way toward the outer  
edges of the encampment. As he did so, he spied the _Saratoga's_ zoologist, Lieutenant Gloria Michaels   
kneeling and running scans on an indigenous lifeform. The seas of Areeva teamed with all sorts of  
creatures, but there was a comparative lack of animal bio-diversity on land. In the two years they'd  
been here, the survey team had catalogued only about twenty different avian and insect species.  
There seemed to be only about a dozen different species of terrestrial animals: all of them herbivorous  
or omnivorous and all small, ranging from a few inches to three feet in height.

One of them was standing in front of the zoologist now, making small squawking sounds. It was a  
small biped, about one foot high with powerful hind legs. It had brown, hairless, scaly skin, but was  
warm blooded. It reminded Kirk of a miniature tyrannosaurus although its forelegs were larger  
and it's muzzle bore a slight resemblence to a ducks. The Zaneem had dubbed them the _Hoeti,_  
or the "Squawkers" and they were very curious. In the two years since the base had been established  
groups of them would constantly wander into the camp.

"Made a new friend, Lieutenant?"

She looked up from the readings she was taking and smiled. "I think so, Captain. These little guys  
have absolutely no fear of us. The other animals around here keep their distance but these guys are  
quite friendly. They're smart too; from what I can tell they have the intelligence level of a dog .  
Several of the original survey team has already giving some of them individual names. I'd say they'll  
wind up getting domesticated very fast."

"Well, just remember we're not taking a bunch of them with us when we leave."

"I'll keep that in mind, sir."

Kirk continued on his way until he had reached the outskirts of the base. Beyond it the area was wooded  
and covered in vegetation. In contrast to animal life, plant biodiversity was tremendous. All plant-life fell  
into three categories: what the _Saratoga_ botanists called the 'Greens' the 'Blues' and the 'Purples'.  
Greens relied on photosynthesis to make their food. Blue used a combination of photosynthesis and  
a symbiotic relationship with various types of Purple fungus.

The fungi, were incredible in themselves. Notable was what Kirk's crew had dubbed 'Mushroom trees.'  
They resembled large mushrooms but could grow several stories and were thick enough that several  
people could fit inside one. Many of them had holes in their trunks that could be hollowed out and ranging  
survey team members had often used them for shelters.

But the most incredible sight was his destination now. Just outside the camp was a marvel that the Zaneem  
called _Casseo_ trees. It was a cross between a tree and a fungus. It was about seven stories high, as thick  
as several oaks put together and had the appearance of a cross between a crystal and a giant fern.  
It was a mix of green, purple and blue that glistened in the sunlight. During the night it gave off a soft  
bioluminescent glow.

Surrounding it where several scientists including  L'Naym. At four months along she was definitely starting  
to show. She had earnestly requested to be allowed to assist with studies of the planet and he had consented,  
with the strict condition that she remain at the base at all times.

As he approached, Kirk noticed her having a conversation with Crewman T'rill from Operations. The young  
T'lodi had transferred to the _Saratoga_ earlier that year. A member of an avian-like species she had very  
sharp senses and was good at detecting sound waves, which made her an asset in Communications.  
But she also had an intense interest in mycology and often helped the Botanic Department during  
planetary surveys.

L'Naym saw him coming and smiled. "Captain, look at these readings." She handed him the PADD she held.  
"The fungi sections and the plant sections both communicate with each other through sound waves.   
They've been working on developing ways to hear them audibly. The plant sections have their own unique  
frequency, the fungi have theirs and when they communicate with each other they form something entirely  
unique."

Kirk smiled as he handed back the PADD. "You always did love to hear the 'Song of the Green.' Here it's  
the 'Song of the Green, the Purple and the Blue."

He glanced around. "Where's Rodriguez and the rest of the Department?"

The botanist motioned toward the forested hills far in the distance. "They took a ground transport to  
the forests east of here. There's a large grove of casseo trees that they wanted to look at."

Kirk nodded. He could tell by the tone of her voice that the Nlian would have loved to go too. But he had  
made his orders clear; other surveys could visit different areas of a planet, but until her child was born,  
she would either remain onboard the ship, or if she did go to the surface, had to remain at base camp.  
L'Naym had accepted his orders without question but…

L'Naym looked at him. She knew him enough to guess what he was thinking. "Don't worry, Captain.  
I know that I have to think about the baby. There's still a lot not known about this planet and in case  
something went wrong its not safe to beam me anywhere. Its safer here at base and near the shuttles.  
Plus the area the others are heading to is pretty rugged and I'd rather not go tramping up and down hills.  
I would have liked to have seen those groves up close, but they can take samples and holo images."

She smiled. "And just looking at one tree is beneficial too. If you study one instead of a group you might   
notice small details others miss." She motioned to T'rill. "T'rill and I have been …Oh!"

Abruptly she paused. Kirk gave his Soul Sister a concerned look and T'rill put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Are you alright?" she asked in her high pitched but musical voice.

L'Naym nodded and smiled. "It's the baby. He's moving around again. He's been doing a lot of moving  
since we came down here. I think he likes this world."

Kirk grinned. "There's a lot to like."

* * *

_Captain's Log Supplemental_

_Delphis class ships spend a great deal of time in-system during their missions and often on planet._  
_Some in Starfleet might prefer to spend their time in space, but I've found that spending time on solid_  
_ground can help one feel grounded._

 _The universe might be endless but that simply means that there are infinite small details to discover._  
_And discovering them with people you care about makes the joy even greater._

_James T Kirk._


	27. V'dras Cloud

_Captains’ Log  
_ _Stardate 2261.10.17_

 _The Saratoga has left Areeva after staying there for a month, assisting with studies and construction of the future colony._  
_Our time there was very enjoyable and we made many important discoveries. We also took trips to Areeva’s moon_  
_and the two other planets in the system, both of which are Class K. The Zaneem may want to establish colonies on them_  
_too at some point._

 _The Zaneem have applied to join the Federation and Starfleet is in the process of helping them increase their warp drive._  
_Their future Seed Ships won’t have to wait five years to reach their new home and they won’t need to put the colonists_  
_in stasis during the trip as they had originally intended. All of this will no doubt enable them to accelerate colonization._

 _Many of the crew would beam down to the surface of Areeva in their off hours. McCoy always enjoys time on ‘solid ground’_  
_as do several of the crew. Our civilians were allowed to take their children to the surface as well: with the condition that_  
_they not leave the base vicinity. It always does young people good for a chance at sunshine and fresh air. Connor McDowell_  
_became enamored of the ‘Squawkers’ and would have smuggled a dozen back to the Saratoga if he could. As if he doesn’t_  
_already have plenty of pets in that menagerie of his._

 _But now its time for us to head back out into the black. We’ve spent a month in system, so our next assignment will_  
_please Stellar Sciences and our pilots. We’ll be heading to the remote Golee Region; a huge newly_ _discovered area  
of space that needs charting._

 _We won’t be going alone, we’ll be joined by a fellow member of the Delphis Pod: the USS Andaman, which focuses_  
_on the study of astronomical phenomena._

_The area is pretty far from our current location. We should be there in about a week and plan to do some  
early star_ _charting while along the way._

_James T Kirk._

* * *

_Captains’ Log_  
_Stardate 2261.10.21_

 _We’re still four days away from rendezvousing with the Andaman but we’re making good time._  
_We’ll be passing close by the V’dras Cloud, a small nebula. We’ll be the first Starfleet vessel  
t_ _o get close to it, so Stellar Sciences will be happy._

_James T Kirk_

* * *

_Saratoga Bridge  
__1:30 PM_  

“So what do we have here, Commander?” Kirk asked

Thelin was busily looking over readings. “It is a mutara class nebula. It has a few constituents  
which aren’t in our database but they’re showing up in minute quantities.”

Kirk nodded and looked over at Bower who stood at Sensors. Normally that post wasn’t fully  
manned, but whenever the _Saratoga_ approached something new for the first time, it was  
‘All hands to science stations.’

“Sensors picking up anything interesting, Bower?”

“Yes, Captain. I’m detecting a slight radioactive field. It seems to be…”

Abruptly ship’s alarms began to go off.


	28. Life Support

_Captain’s Log Supplemental_

_At 1330 hours we came within proximity of the V’dras cloud. Unfortunately it emits an unusual_   
_form of radiation, which while not seemingly harmful to humanoid life, wrecked havoc on the_   
_Saratoga’s systems, specifically our life support systems._

_We immediately moved the Saratoga back, but the damage was done._

* * *

 

 _Saratoga Bridge_  
1:40 PM

“Captain!” Arex reported. “Life support systems are failing all over the ship! Temperatures and oxygen  
levels are slowly dropping.”

“Are we facing depressurization?” Kirk asked grimly.

“Not yet, Captain. But at the current rate, we will in 24 hours.”

He turned to his Chief of Communications. “M’Ress, open a ship-wide channel.”

“Aye, Captain,” the Caitain responded.

* * *

_“All decks, this is the Captain._

_Our life support systems have been damaged by some form of stellar radiation. We will follow emergency_ _  
life-support protocols. All power is being rerouted and oxygen directed toward certain areas._ _All crew put  
on your life support suits. All civilians, children and **pregnant crewmembers** are __to report to Cargo Bay 1_  
and prepare for possible evacuation.”

* * *

 _Saratoga Engineering_  
_10/22/2261  
_ _12:45 PM_

"Any luck Joyce?" Kirk asked.

His Chief Engineer looked solemnly back at him. "No Jim. Getting away from the cloud didn't help.  
The radiation caused a cascade effect in our life support and the effect is cumulative. We'll completely  
lose life support in another hour. I'm not giving up though."

"I know, Joyce. But until we find a solution...."

Kirk turned to his First Officer. "Thelin, it's time to begin the first evacuation."

 


	29. Splitting up

_10/22/2261_  
_Cargo Bay_  
_1:30 PM_

Kirk gently clasped his Soul Sister’s hand. She and her lifemate both looked at him intently.  
In their suits they couldn’t soul touch, but they could read the worry in his eyes.

“I know you’re worried, Jim,” L’Naym whispered. “But I’m fine and so is the baby.”

Kirk nodded and then moved toward the front of the room. Once he did so he looked over  
the assembled faces, noting who would be leaving with the _Waverider._

Lieutenant Akari, his Chief Helmsman and the _Saratoga’s_ best pilot would be flying it.

Lieutenant Devon Maxwell would serve at Operations. Sraight forward and responsible  
he was also in Command and a skilled pilot, but is first love was computers and engineering.

Ensign Tanor Dal would be at Science. The young Betazoid had transferred to the _Saratoga_  
the year before. Specializing in both astrophysics and technology, he was highly intelligent  
and incredibly observant.

Ensign Darlene Givens, who had also arrived the year before, would be at Engineering.  
She was quiet but possessed of an endless supply of creativity and had often served  
at the Engineering station on the bridge.

 _This Mini-Crew will be the lifeboat crew,_ he thought.

Aside from the cockpit, the _Waverider_ had twenty seven seats.

Thirteen year old Anna Mayberry would be in one of them, as well as her parents: Chief Petty  
Officers Robert and Silvia Mayberry. Robert was in Engineering but his expertise was with impulse  
engines not life support and so he wasn’t needed. Neither was Silvia who was in charge  
of ship’s resources.  
   
Ten year old Connor McDowell was there, accompanied by five animals. Four of them his pets  
and one of which was Filars’ Yorkshire terrier, Chandler, which he had unofficially adopted.   
There was also his sixteen year old sister, Melissa and their aunt and uncle, Clara and Fergus  
McDowell from Engineering.

There was seventeen year old Natasha Holster and her parents. Petty Officer Brandon Holster  
was good at both impulse engines and shuttle maintenance. Petty Officer Maria Holster  
was in Security. Boisterous and charismatic, determined and dependable, she excelled at  
working with young people.

Five year old Trisha Deerhorn and her mother Lieutenant Monica Deerhorn, also in Security.

There were both his Soul Siblings and standing near them was twelve year old Kevin Park.  
His adoptive father, Chief Petty Officer Tolliver, would be staying behind. As a member of  
the Senior staff and in charge of Operations, Kirk had decided that he couldn’t spare him,  
although it tore at his heart to separate them.  L’Nyam had told him that she had asked Kevin  
to help watch out for her and her baby during the crisis. Known for his strong sense  
of responsibility, the boy had immediately agreed.

 _Between him and Trisha that baby’s going to stay safe for a long time,_ Kirk thought.

Petty Officer Greg Matthews from Personnel, along with his wife Danielle and their three children:  
fourteen year old Elizabeth and the three month old twins, David and Jonathan, whom both  
parents were holding tightly.

Lieutenant Selene Davis would also be going. As well as a highly dedicated Security officer,  
she was also a skilled pilot who had often gone on shuttle missions. She would serve as relief  
to Akari, as well as providing protection for the evacuees.

Crewman Ceron from Security was there as well. Kirk had picked him to go for his great  
physical strength and his rapport with children.

Lieutenant Diana Belzoni, the _Saratoga’s_ Head Nurse, would be going too. Although she’d be  
leaving behind her husband, Lieutenant Commander Belzoni. She would serve as CMO to  
those leaving. Competent and dedicated Kirk had full confidence in her.

The rest of those going were all civilians.

Botanist Amiseru Flibye was only three inches in height, but only an idiot would judge her by her size.  
The avian-like, Fluveen was vibrant, regal and majestic. She would someday be a member of the ruling  
council of her homeworld, but every prospective Heir was expected to spend five years off world  
learning and serving. She had decided to spend two years of her Service Time onboard the _Saratoga._  
A skilled botanist with a vast amount of knowledge she had been dubbed the 'Queen of the Arboretum.'

Naturalist/Archeologist, K’lik from Cel Prime was also on a two year study. An exacting naturalist with  
meticulous attention to the slightest detail, the insectoid like being, had written volumes of notes and  
Kirk had often joked that he had collected so many samples that there wouldn’t be any room left in  
the archive. ‘ _If the universe is truly endless that means that there are endless_ _things to learn!”_  
was his favorite saying.

Wyleen Ezba Srinel, from Zorla III, was a prominent anthropologist and historian. She was a master  
of cultural appropriation and had proven invaluable on missions involving the study and/or contact  
with other civilizations.

Dr. Beverly Travis was both a skilled microbiologist as well as a good teacher.

Dr. Iri Nelena was a geneticist specializing in molecular ecology. The elderly Rigelian was possessed  
of a sharp active mind and always noticed details others missed.

Cres Vumor, from Orangen, was skilled at both dimensional physics and hydrology. He was determined  
with a sharp formidable intellect and yet always approachable and good at explaining complex problems  
and theories.

Kri’siya was currently on a three year project. The Azoren was over a hundred years old, yet had  
the form and face of a woman in her mid twenties. A master of the study of mineralogy and crystallography,  
she was wise and pragmatic yet had a healthy dose of humor. She was popular with young people  
and a good teacher.

“It’s been 24 hours and we have been unable to repair our life-support,” Kirk began. “This ship will  
completely depressurize in an hour. There will still be power, but no heat and no oxygen. I have every  
confidence that we will find a solution, but asking all of you to stay will be asking you to risk your lives  
and that is something that I have no intention of doing. We are a family and our strength comes from  
each other.” He paused. “But sometimes it’s necessary for families to split up.” His eyes briefly met  
those of his Soul Siblings. “It’s time for you to go.”

He took a deep breath. “You are all to report to the _Waverider_. It’s warp capable and well supplied.  
Lieutenant Akari, our finest pilot, will be at the helm and there’s not a man alive that I trust more  
to fly you to safety. Lieutenant Belzoni and Crewman Alyen will be with you for any medical problems  
that may arise. I have complete confidence in them.

“There’s a star system not far from here. At warp 3 you should reach it late tomorrow. According to  
Stellar cartography it has several planets, one of which is class L. It’s not as good as an M class,  
but it can support life. The _Waverider_ is stocked with enough provisions to last you for weeks.  
It has weapons in the event that you run into danger. It’s also equipped with long range transmission  
capability so that you can contact any other ships that might be in the area and a subspace beacon,  
which is how we’ll keep track of your location.

The senior staff and I and the rest of the crew will remain behind and continue to attempt repairs.  
Our suits will provide us with life support for two weeks. If we’re not able to repair the ship before  
then we’ll evacuate as well and follow your course.

“When we see each other again…and _we will_ …I expect all of you to have interesting stories to tell.”

* * *

 _Saratoga Bridge_  
_2:15 PM_

From his Captain’s Chair, Kirk watched as the _Waverider_ soared away from the _Saratoga_ and then  
went to warp.

“We _will_ see each other again,” he whispered.

 


	30. A walk in the park

_Helmsman’ Log_  
_Stardate 2261.10.25_

 _It has been three days since we left the Saratoga and two days since we arrived at our current refuge,_  
_which we have named Haven. It’s the fourth planet of an eleven planet system. An L class planetoid:_  
_uninhabited, rocky and no life except for vegetation. Fortunately the atmosphere is breathable._

 _I landed the Waverider near an area that had large caves and we’ve set up shelters inside them._  
_L class worlds have little water, but we have located a small stream in the vicinity of our camp_  
_and fortunately it rains regularly, as the downpour we experienced not long after arriving proved._

 _There is little vegetation except for scattered shrubs, mosses and bits of grass here and there, but our_  
_botanists have determined that some of them are edible. We have plenty of supplies, but we have no_  
_idea how long we might be here and if the rest of the crew is unable to repair the Saratoga, they will_  
_come here as well. So it’s crucial to start making long term plans._

_Harutu Akari_

* * *

_Surface of Haven_  
_2 kilometers away from camp_

“I really hope we don’t have to stay here long,” Ceron muttered. “This world is so barren.”

L’Naym looked up from the readings she was taking. She could understand her fellow crewmember’s  
viewpoint; his homeworld, Muev III, was a world of rolling hills and plains.

“It’s not all that barren,” she said gently. “I grew up on a desert world. The Great Dune Sea is larger than  
Earth’s Sahara; millions of kilometers of windswept sand dunes as far as the eye can see. But there is life  
there and cities and kingdoms have graced its sands.

“You want to see barren?” Lieutenant Davis asked. “I grew up on the moon. _That’s_ barren. No oxygen  
and nothing but rock and dust outside the domes. Compared to that, this planet’s a garden.”

“But it’s your home,” L’Naym smiled.

Davis smiled. “That it is. People may think moons are barren but I’ve always found them beautiful in their  
own way.” She looked around. “Commander Hatcher’s home planet was an L class world. She told me once  
that it had nothing but rocks and a couple of shrubs ever kilometer or so.”

L’Naym nodded thoughtfully. She knew that Davis had become an unofficial protégé of Hatcher since  
coming to the _Saratoga_ and greatly admired her.

“Well this world has lots of shrubs. And more besides.” She grabbed a clump of earth and lifted it up.  
It was covered with a red lichen-like growth, and underneath its roots was a fistful of soil of a vivid  
shade of purple. She showed the handful to Ceron. “I’m sure it’s not often that you’ve seen purple soil,  
eh, Crewman?” she chuckled.

She continued her scans “The soil is rich in nutrients. We should have no problem planting gardens.”

Since coming to the planet L’Naym had insisted on making herself useful; wanting to analyze the soil  
and plants as a possible food source. Knowing that such work was critical now, Akari had assented,  
with the strict condition that she not go more than two kilometers away and that she be accompanied  
by two other crewmembers. It was the same condition he set for anyone leaving camp- no one could  
go anywhere alone.

But she had seen the concern in his eyes. She knew that her Soul Brother had asked him to keep  
a close eye on her. And she also knew that he wouldn’t have needed to ask; both Kirk and Akari  
had a deep camaraderie, both as Captain and Helmsman and Student and Teacher.

Although their camp was situated near a cave system, much of the surrounding area was flat.  
That morning another scout team had headed in the opposite direction toward terrain that was quite  
rugged. L’Naym hadn’t been allowed to go with them but she had been allowed to go on a survey  
of the flat areas at the camp’s outer parameters.

 _“Two ground teams can cover more ground_ ,” the Helmsman had said. _“One of the areas immediate_  
_to the camp and another further out.”_

After about another hour of going over readings, Davis glanced at the sky. “It will be getting dark in  
another couple of hours. We should probably head back.”

L’Naym glanced up as well. The change in sunlight brought out the most striking feature of the sky.  
Arching high overhead, filling almost half the sky, were a series of milky bands. Haven had three   
moons and once it had had a large fourth one, but long ago gravitational forces had tore it to pieces,   
resulting in a ring around the planet.

“You’re right.” L’Naym stood up. “I’d like to be back at camp before the other team does. I don’t want  
Tuskaro to worry.” Her lifemate had been sent with the larger team in case they ran into any accidents  
on the rougher terrain.

“ _I’d_ like to get back before Lieutenant Akari does.” Ceron put in. The Helmsman had taken the _Waverider_  
that morning along with a few other officers. Their plan was to do a survey run of the planet.  “If we’re  
the last team back, he might think that something’s happened to you.”

L’Naym smiled. “I’ll be sure to tell him that I was perfectly safe with the two of you.”  
   
The three set out. L’Naym’s survey had started close to camp and then about two kilometers out.  
When they were about halfway back Ceron glanced at L’Naym. “Are you tired?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. My ancestors were nomads. They thought nothing of walking for miles  
across the desert each day. My grandmother was a scout and caravan guard.  She took me on countless  
treks though the deserts outside my home city and even across the Dune Sea. She would think this  
a mere ‘stroll through the park.’

“Maybe. But if we let anything happen to you, the only place Davis and I be strolling through is the brig.”

L’Naym chuckled. “But you wouldn’t let anything happen to me if it were within your power.”

She smiled at Davis. “And I have to say that I'm flattered, Lieutenant. It’s not often that a botanist gets  
to have a tactical officer escort her for a simple botanical survey.”

Davis smiled back. “As you like to say, _‘Every member of the caravan is vital_ , Crewman.”

 


	31. Refugees

_Haven Campsite_  
_5:30 PM_

As L'Naym, Davis and Ceron drew near the camp they saw Doctors Vumor and Travis busily going  
over readings of the small stream the group had discovered. Travis was a well known microbiologist  
on her home, the Federation colony at the Planet Q. And although Vumor's main focus was physics  
he also had an intense interest in hydrology.

"Find anything useful?" Davis asked as they drew near.

Travis looked up from her readings. "We certainly have. The water is drinkable. It has bacteria that will  
need to be treated, but we can manage that with our equipment."

"We were discussing how to create some type of pump or hydraulic system," Vumor put in.

"I might be able to help," L'Naym said. "The task of Water Guardian is one of the most highly esteemed  
on my world." She paused thoughtfully. "My mother was one and although I chose a different path then  
her, botany and water are closely entwined and I've studied some methods of irrigation."

"We'll certainly welcome your input." Travis' smile faded. "I'm sure everyone will if we have wind up  
having to stay here for a long time."

The trio continued on. The group campsite was in the foothills of a chain of large hills which had a  
series of natural caves. It was in the largest of these that the refugees had settled. The cave mouth  
faced south, which ensured that the cave faced sunlight most of the day.

As they approached the cave they saw that it was busy with movement. Several had gone out with  
the second survey team, but there were still plenty at camp. One of them, when she saw approach,  
broke into a run.

"Mrs. L'Naym!" Trisha ran up and threw her arms around the Nlian. "You're back! I didn't like it when  
you had to leave and they wouldn't let me go too. What if something bad happened?"

"I'm fine, Trisha," L'Naym reassured the little girl.

"Is the baby ok?"

"The baby's just fine. Lieutenant Davis and Crewman Ceron were fine protectors to us both."

"Well now that you're back I'm going to protect you!" Trisha said imperiously as she took her hand.

"I think we're out of a job," Davis chuckled.

"Don't I get a hello?" Ceron asked with a wounded expression.

Trisha give him a bright smile. "Hi, Ceron. How was your day?"

"It was fine. But it's even better now that I get to do… ** _this!"_   **He grabbed the little girl and tossed  
her in the air, to her shrieks of delight.

With a chuckle he lifted her up and placed her atop his massive shoulders.

She clutched at his hair. "You're my giant bear-horse!" she teased.

Another young figure joined them as they got closer. "Hi, Lieutenant," Elizabeth said quietly.  
The fourteen year old had formed a friendship with Davis since her transfer to the _Saratoga_  
and the two were often seen together.

The five of them entered the cave. The interior comprised of a large main chamber with a high  
vaulted four story ceiling with enough room to contain well over fifty people. In the back was  
a passage which branched into three smaller chambers.

L'Naym's destination was the one chamber which had been designated, for now, as a lab.  
As she walked, she greeted the rest of her fellow exiles and carefully made her way around  
the engineers. The planet was warm during the day, but chilly at night and they didn't know  
yet what the temperature would be during other seasons. The engineers: Robert Mayberry,  
Brandon Holster and the McDowells, had been busy, first by putting up shelters and then  
by working on small portable generators. Young Anna was hovering nearby. The imaginative  
thirteen year old was never happier than when she was around machines.

Upon entering the smaller chamber, L'Naym greeted its occupants, Belzoni, Silvia Mayberry,  
Srinel and Nelena, all of whom were busy going over PADDs and data.

"Shylea!" Mayberry said when she noticed her. "Glad to see you're back. Find any potential  
resources during your excursion?" As head of Ship's Resources, Mayberry had always known  
down to the atom's weight what resources and supplies, the _Saratoga_ had and how much.  
Now she was the New Monarch of the bases' supplies.

L'Naym nodded. "I believe so." She brought out one of her PADDs and for the next several  
minutes the women all conferred.

Kevin Park entered the room carrying a PADD. "Mrs. Mayberry, I just finished…" He smiled  
when he saw L'Naym. "Mrs. L'Naym. Hi."

"Hello, Kevin" she said. Since leaving the _Saratoga_ she had taken the quiet boy under her wing.  
Doing all she could to comfort him during his worry about the ship and adoptive father.

Mayberry had been keeping a close eye on him too. "Kevin's been a big help to me," she said.  
"He's helping to tally up all of our supplies. Maybe he'll be in charge of our resources before long."

Kevin blushed slightly. The quiet, thoughtful twelve year old always thrived on responsibility.

Ceron abruptly entered the chamber. "The second team just got back."

L'Naym quickly put down her PADD and hurried out.

In the main cavern she saw the survey team entering. She spotted her lifemate and hurried over  
to embrace him.

_The Joined Souls embraced._

_*I missed you, my Beloved.*_

_*I know.*_

_*I was worried; I don't like being separated from you. Certainly not now.*_

_*As was I. I kept reaching for our Bond to feel you. But our work is crucial now. We need to find_  
_out as much about this planet as possible and what can help us survive here. For the crew's sake_  
_and our baby's.*_

_*How is he?*_

_*Fine and active.*_

_The Joined Souls gently reached out to their unborn child and reassured themselves with  his_ _tiny touch._

_*We're both here, little one.* they whispered. * We love you and we will keep you safe.*_

A loud voice brought their attention back outward.

"The _Waverider's_ coming," someone announced. And indeed they could all here the hum of the craft's  
engines.

L'Naym found herself exhaling. _*We're back together_.* she whispered to her lifemate.

Alyen squeezed her gently. He knew that since coming to this planet his lifemate felt most at ease  
when the entire group was together. Not just for herself but for everyone. Their strength came from  
each other after all.

The _Waverider_ landed a few meters from the cave entrance and the officers onboard disembarked  
and entered the cave. Everyone gathered together in a great circle to share reports and stories  
of the day's expeditions.

Akari began. "We took the _Waverider_ on a sweep of the entire system. We all know that there are  
eleven planets in this system. The first two are B class: Geomoteus. Small, close to the sun, very hot  
with surfaces that are highly unstable and partially molten.

"The third planet is also rocky and has oceans of liquid methane. We think that the planet was M class:  
Earthlike, long ago, but something happened to ignite the methane, resulting in anything and everything  
organic igniting."

"Methane is definitely a potential fuel source," Fergus McDowell pointed out.

Akari nodded. "That's something that we'll be looking into. This planet is the fourth and, as we all know,  
L Class: Marginal. Rocky and barren, but with a breathable atmosphere and, fortunately for us, suitable  
for humanoid colonization.

"Near this planet is a large asteroid field. Meteorites fall on this planet. A lot. In fact we witnessed a shower  
in the northern hemisphere. On Earth, meteorites fall about five to ten times a year. From our readings and  
projections, this planet has meteor showers five or ten times _a month_. So we'll need to develop a monitoring  
system to watch for danger and focus on additional methods of safety."

He glanced at L'Naym and she knew that she wouldn't be going on any more excursions in the immediate  
future. Alyen knew it too and felt grateful.

"The fifth planet is Class K: Adaptable. Small, weak gravity, thin atmosphere, barren surface.

"The sixth planet is Class P: Glaciated. It's completely covered in ice and snow. We didn't detect any signs  
of life, but the ice and snow are potential sources of water.

"The seventh through ninth planets are all Class J: Gas giants. The tenth and eleventh are both Class C:  
Geoninactive. Tiny frozen rocks with no atmosphere."

He looked over the group. “This system is our home for the time being”. He didn’t say _Possibly for the_  
rest of our lives but everyone knew that he was thinking it because they were too. “We’ll all need to pool  
our training and resources to find the best methods of survival.”

* * *

_7:30 PM_

After everyone had given their reports for the day, they had eaten. However someone might eat during  
the day it had been unofficially decided that in the evening everyone would eat together. It silently  
reaffirmed their bonds.

L'Naym took Kevin and Trisha just outside the cave where, along with her lifemate, they all sat on some  
boulders. "Why don't we all do some stargazing for awhile?" she suggested.

Outside it was night, but thanks to the planet's rings and three moons, it was quite bright. On most worlds  
the night would be filled with the sounds of insects, but nights here were silent.

"The rings are pretty," Trisha said as she gazed upwards.

"They are." L'Naym said. "And they effect the planet too. Depending on where you are on this world,  
the rings can shade the sun and lower the temperature– or magnify sunlight and raise the temperature.  
They're still trying to figure out how the seasons turn here. That's why Lieutenant Akari chose a site  
near the equator. It will be warmer here than anywhere else on the planet, but at the same time there  
won't be a dramatic change between the seasons."

"It's so bright, you can't see the stars very well," Kevin frowned. Both Nlians knew he was wondering  
where out there the _Saratoga_ was.

"That means that we can do some ring gazing then," Alyen said with a smile.

* * *

_9:30 PM_

Gradually nearly everyone had withdrawn to their tents. The exiles had situated their shelters near   
the front of the cave. Six tents for families were further back. Closer to the front and on one side   
were two large tents for the single males and on the other side two for the females. If their stay   
became longer they would prepare more durable ones.

A subspace communications device had been set up in one of the smaller caverns. It constantly   
broadcasted a distress signal and at the same time listened for any outside signals. Kri'siya had   
volunteered to stay by it throughout the night in case anyone tried to signal them. Lieutenant Maxwell   
would be sleeping on the _Waverider_ for the same reason and also to move the craft if need be.

K'lik sat by the mouth of the cave in order to keep watch for danger. This world was supposedly  
uninhabited but in case they were wrong, the Celite could see in the dark and his ears and antennae  
could detect sounds and signals long before a human could. In addition, he was nearly twice as strong  
as a human and could eject poisonous spines.

Lieutenant Akari placed his bed roll beside K'lik. He would sleep, but very lightly.

Alyen and L'Naym snuggled close to each other in their bedroll. Not far from them they could hear  
Kevin stirring; they had insisted that he share their tent.

Kevin stirred again and sat up. "Mrs. L'Naym?" he whispered.

She raised her head. "Yes, Kevin?"

"Do you think that everyone back on the _Saratoga's_ ok? That my dad's ok?

"I think so, Kevin. I know that the Captain's still alive; if he had died Tuskaro and I would have felt it.  
And if he's alive I've no doubt that the rest of our crew is." _Because Jim would die before letting  
anything_ _happen to them._ "I'm sure right now they're all worrying about us."


	32. No answer

_Captain’s Log  
_ _Stardate 2261.1.1_

 _It’s been ten days since we were forced to evacuate several of our crew. Ten days since our family_  
_was split up. Ten days that have weighed heavily on us all._

 _Six days after the Waverider left we were finally able to restore life support due to a complicated  
process_ _of jumpstarting that Engineering and Operations developed. I’ve given each member  
commendations._ _We left behind warning beacons to steer other ships away from the V’Ras Cloud  
and set off to find_ _the rest of our crew. The jump starting caused a power drain so we had to travel  
at warp 1for_ _a couple of days. Along the way we ran into the USS Andaman. When we didn’t  
rendezvous with_ _them they began to search for us. We met up with them two days ago and  
they assisted us with_ _power transfers to get back to full power._

 _We’re now both traveling at maximum warp toward the planet where we sent the Waverider._  
_We don’t know much about the system except that it has eleven planets that orbit an K type_  
_(Orange) star and that the planet that our crew is on is an L class planetoid. It has no official  
name_ _but since it’s the fourth planet in a K type system, we call it simply K-4._

_James T Kirk_

* * *

_Bridge  
_ _1:30 PM_

Kirk completed his log entry and commed Engineering. “How’re the engines down there, Joyce?”

_“There’re holding up fine, Captain. The power transfer from the Andaman did the trick.”_

Kirk nodded. “Good.” He would have to think of a suitable way to repay the Captain of the _Andaman._  
Without their help they would eventually have been able to increase their warp speed, but it would  
have taken several more days. Several more days before they could find their crewmembers.

He glanced at Tolliver. For the past ten days his Chief of Operations had been as thorough and  
professional as ever, but Kirk knew his old friend well enough to be able to see the worry in his eyes.

 _He lost one family years ago. If anything’s happened to his second_ ….

He forced himself to think positive. _Tuskaro and Shylea aren’t dead. If they were I would_ _have felt it.  
And Shylea promised she’d keep an eye on Kevin._

But he couldn’t stop worrying. And he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop until he had all his  
crewmembers back.

Nlian lifemates sensed each other all the time. As a Soul Sibling he could only feel and communicate  
with them if in actual physical contact. Always before he had cherished his Soul Sibling bond.  
But now, for the first time he actually resented it. Because all it could do from afar was tell him   
that they were alive. He wanted more than that!

He wanted to know that they were alright! He wanted to reach out to them and let them know  
that he was coming! To let all of his sundered crewmembers know that their family was coming!

He looked at Blackwood, who had been serving at Helm ever since Akari left. Blackwood was a skilled  
pilot and highly intelligent, especially in a crisis.

But the Captain wanted his Helmsman back and the student missed his teacher.

“How much more time until we arrive, Lieutenant?”

“About 2 hours, sir.”

That was two hours two long.

 He turned to his Chief of Communications. “M’Ress, try hailing them. We should be close enough  
for them to hear us.”

The Caitian’s hands moved over the controls of her station for a few moments. “Captain I’m not  
picking up any transmissions in the area.”

Kirk frowned. “Is their subspace beacon still working?”

Another few moments. “Yes, Captain, it appears to be functioning perfectly. I’m not sure why there’s  
no answer.”

Kirk’s frowned deepened. “The system restart and power transfer might have affected our communications.  
Contact the _Andaman_. Ask them if they’re picking up any transmissions.”

More tense moments.

Then…

“Captain, the _Andaman_ isn’t picking up anything either.”

Kirk’s hands clenched tightly. 

* * *

_3:30 PM_

“Approaching planetoid K-4,” Blackhawk announced.

Kirk glanced over at McCoy, who stood beside him in silent support.. For the past two hours the Captain  
had been as tense as a coiled spring. His best friend had come up from Medbay to keep an eye on him  
and he had never been more grateful for it.

The _Saratoga_ and the _Andaman_ dropped out of warp near the small ringed planetoid.

“Captain, there appears to be a large meteor storm in the equator,” Thelin announced.

“Captain,” M’Ress called worriedly; “that’s the same vicinity of the subspace beacon.”

“Hail them again!” Kirk could hear his voice rising but couldn’t bring himself to care.  
“Thelin, scan for life signs!”

Agonized moments passed.

Then.

His Chief of Communications’ words sent icy chills through him. “Captain, there’s still no answer.  
Neither I nor the _Andaman_ are picking up any response.”

His First Officer’s words cast a pall over the entire bridge. “Captain, I’m not picking up any life signs.” 


	33. Storms

_Haven Cavern_  
3:30 PM  


L'Naym and Alyen sat huddled in the back of the main cavern. Alyen had both arms securely  
wrapped around his lifemate. Kevin Park sat close beside them. The young boy was trying to   
be brave but one could see the fear as he listened to the thunder of the storm outside.

Close beside them were all of the other children. Trisha sat closest with her mother beside her.  
Elizabeth sat beside her parents and the twins. Anna sat with her parents, tightly holding a  
flashlight. Each cavern had been fitted with light sources but having her own made her feel   
better. "In case the storm knocks them out," she'd said.

The McDowell's sat close together. Connor had Chandler on his lap. On one shoulder was a   
squirrel-like Ogdal and on another a nine inch, guinea pig-like Qoboo. Beside him in one cage  
was his 6 cm Merkis and in another was his five cm long Flutterlizard. All of the animals were  
obviously frightened by the distant roaring and their owner was too, although he was trying  
hard not to show it.

Although seventeen, Natasha, who sat close to her parents, was clearly unnerved as well.

L'Naym's eyes kept going to each of them. She had been protective of all the young people  
since their exile and from the moment storm had begun she had gone into full protect mode,  
not just to her unborn, but to every child in the group. And although she gladly accepted her  
lifemate's comfort there was no doubt that she was prepared to leap up in an instant to   
protect all of them.

Little Trisha had gone into protect mode too. She had insisted that she and her mother sit  
close  to L'Naym "So that I she watch over her and the baby," she'd declared in a tone that  
permitted no argument.

The rest of the refugees all sat or stood nearby. One might have thought that some might  
have tried to go into the smaller back rooms. But the refugees always gained strength  
from each other and nobody really wanted to be out of anyone's sight.

In the week since they had first learned of the regular meteor storms, Lieutenant Akari had   
tightened up on security and everyone had been busy.

The _Waverider_ was a critical source of power and transportation and needed to be protected  
from storms. They had used its phasers to blast a large hangar sized hole for it in the hills  
and were working on making a tunnel to connect it to the refugees' living space.

Scans of their caverns had revealed that behind one of the cave walls was an entryway to a tunnel  
that led downward to deeper underground caverns. The refugees hadn't tried to clear it yet but  
that was definitely on the 'to do' list. If they had to stay here permanently, underground shelters  
were a strong possibility.

The _Waverider_ had also done scans of the entire hill range, which stretched about 500 km,  
determining the location of other caverns and a few other streams.

L'Naym, for the time being, had been required to confine her expeditions to the camp area.  
She spent her time either analyzing the soil and plant samples near the cave, or at the spring,  
helping Travis and Vumor.

Engineers were often at the spring too. There were still plenty of water rations but they needed   
to think long term. Travis had been developing a solution to act as a water purifier.  Vumer and   
Petty Officer Robert Mayberry were going over plans for a pump and L'Naym offered ideas for   
irrigation. They of course needed to plan for gardens. They had brought seeds with them and  
they had been continuing their studies of the planet's native flora.

She had spent the morning doing that, but from the time she had awakened she had felt a slight   
unease. When no ground teams were sent out that morning, everyone working on projects in   
the caves instead, she had felt relief.

But the unease had remained. And it didn't decease as the morning passed.

At around noon when she heard Akari mentioning that he was thinking about sending out  
a small team later that afternoon, her unease had spiked.

"Sir," she had said urgently. "I don't think that you should send any ground teams out today."

"Is there something wrong, Crewman?" he had asked

She nodded. "I think so. The baby's fine, I just have a feeling of… wrongness."

"Are you sensing anything telepathically?"

"Not really. It's just…an instinct. A feeling of danger, not for me but everyone. Sir, I don't think   
it's safe for anyone to go out."

Akari nodded. The Nlian had told him that pregnant females of her species had heightened instincts  
when it came to danger. She had suggested that maybe they could use this ability to help the refugees.  
That she could act as a sort of 'early warning system'. She hadn't asked to go with any of the survey  
teams; she'd known that he wouldn't allow that. But it seemed to be helping anyway.

The engineers were working on satellites to put into orbit to monitor for any potential storms.  
But it would be a few more days before the first ones were ready.

They still had the _Waverider_ though.

Akari and Maxwell had taken the _Waverider_ out. Not long afterwards the Helmsman had commed  
the colony informing them that a large meteor storm was approaching and ordering everyone  
into the caves. He and Maxwell had flown the _Waverider_ into the hangar only moments before  
the storm had started.

The storm was terrifying. Most huddled in the back of the caves listening to the rumble and  
thunder outside. Those closer to the entrance monitored the size of the rocks, some of them  
the size of golf balls, others the size of boulders, smashing against the ground.

"Are you afraid, Trisha?" L'Naym asked.

"No," the little girl said quickly.

L'Naym smiled gently. "Well I am. A little. There's no shame in being afraid. Fear is a response  
to danger and that storm outside is dangerous. But these caves will keep us safe. Lieutenant  
Akari was very wise to have us set up camp here."

She rubbed her belly gently before continuing. "Why don't I tell all of us all a story to pass the time?"

Trisha perked up. She always loved L'Naym's stories.

L'Naym paused. "I think I'll tell a story about my homeword, Nlia."

"Do they get meteor storms like this?" Anna asked.

"No, not like this. But it has its dangers. All of you were either born on Earth, or your parents were.   
Nlia, the world of my birth, is very different. Earth has seven continents. Nlia has three: the Northern   
Land in the north and the Western and the Eastern Lands in the south.

She smiled at her lifemate. "By beloved is from the Northern Land. It's a small island about the size   
of the Earth country of Turkey. The first settlers called it the 'Evergreen' because it is covered with   
beautiful forests. People who live in the North are often called _'The Children of the Forest_.

"Since the Western Land and the Eastern Land are both in the South, they're both called collectively  
the Southern Lands."

"And that's where you're from!" Trisha said. "People who live there are called the _'Children_   _of the Sands_   
because everything down there is desert and there's sand everywhere!"

L'Naym smiled. "You're right. In both the Southern Lands there are grass and scrublands in the northern  
coastal regions and that is our primary farming area. But most of the Southern Lands are made up   
of desert. Deserts much vaster than Earth's Sahara."

She paused. "Picture a landscape of rock and sand stretching from horizon to horizon. Think of vast   
seas of dunes stretching as far as the eye can see in all directions. These are the deserts of Nlia.  
And it was there that my race was born.

"The sands of Nlia hold many secrets to those skilled in their lore. The greatest of these is the art   
of finding sources of water. In some areas of the Southern Lands it doesn't rain for years.  In the driest   
areas of the Great Dune Sea it hasn't rained in hundreds of years. Oasis and springs were more   
valuable to my ancestors than gold and the task of Water Guardian was one of our most highly   
esteemed."

"It certainly explains why you've got so many ideas for that spring," Robert Mayberry put in with smile.

L'Naym blushed before continuing. "My people have a saying, _'The desert is never barren,_ '  
because even though it may be sparse, life exists there in great variety and in it we find great beauty.

"But even though it has great beauty the desert has many dangers. One of them is the heat.  
In some places the temperature can reach well over a hundred and thirty degrees."

"That's really hot!" Connor said. His family was from Scotland.

"It is. One of the most dangerous things to encounter are sandstorms. Imagine a wall of sand stretching   
up to two miles high, fifty miles wide and sometimes traveling at a hundred miles per hour.   
Imagine that wall sweeping toward you, engulfing you."

"I got sand thrown in my face once." Elizabeth said. "It was awful."

L'Naym nodded. "A sandstorm is far worse. It can darken the sky so that it is literally as dark as night   
and you literally can't see your hand in front of your face. And the sand tears at your body, not only   
blinding you but choking you. Some storms only last for minutes. Some last for hours and some   
have lasted for days."

"What do you do if you get caught in one?" Melissa asked. The sixteen year old always had an intense   
curiosity.

"On my world everyone in the Southern Lands is taught what to do if caught in a sandstorm."  
She smiled. "If you're in a city or near a building, of course get inside. If you have some sort of   
land vehicle get inside and shut all doors, windows and vents.

"If you're out in the desert and traveling by foot, then above all do _not_ panic, stay calm. Try to get   
to some sort of shelter.  If there is none, keep your back to the wind and face away from the storm.   
Above all you must keep your eyes, nose and mouth covered. Many of my people, when traveling   
have veils and face coverings. If all you have is the shirt on your back, take it off and wrap it around   
your face. The sand will dig and tear at your skin but you must keep your eyes and nose covered.   
And crouch down, this will give you some leverage and a storm's force is less towards the ground."

"We're all crouching down right now, aren't we?" Kevin asked.

L'Naym smiled. "That we are. Our group here is like the tribes that lived near Tanlon, on the edge   
of the Great Dune Sea. Wandering tribes often came to that area because there were a series of   
rocky outcroppings that offered shelter from both heat and storm. First it was a regular gathering   
place for tribes, then permanent settlement were set up. In time it became a great city."

"If we have to stay here will we built a city like them?" Trisha asked.

"We might. And like them when a storm comes we will seek shelter, crouch down and wait it out,   
knowing that storms always pass in the end."

"Indeed they do." Everyone looked up to see Lieutenant Akari approach. "The one outside is  
beginning to let up."

Indeed, upon listening they all noticed that the roaring had died down considerably. After a few   
more minutes the noise gradually stopped altogether.

Everyone in the cavern let out deep breaths.

Alyen reached out and gently ruffled Kevin's hair. "Storms always pass."

A shout interrupted before he could say anything else.

"Lieutenant Akari!"

Ensign Dal ran out of the chamber where he had been monitoring their listening device.  
"Sir! I'm picking up a signal!"


	34. Together again

_Captain’s Log_   
_Stardate: 2261.11.3_

_It’s been nearly two days since we left at Planetoid K-4._

_We arrived just in time to witness a large meteor storm in the equatorial region, which the subspace beacon_   
_revealed to be the location of our missing crewmembers. The storms resulted not only in communication_   
_disruptions but the caverns where they sought sanctuary also masked life signs._

_For nearly an hour we had no way of communicating with the surface and the storms made it too dangerous_   
_to beam anyone down or to send a shuttle. We had absolutely no choice but to wait out the storm._

_It was the longest hour of my life._

_When the storm finally passed and we got back a signal it was the sweetest music I’d ever heard._

_Even without the storms, ionic disturbances in the atmosphere due to the rings made it impossible to beam_   
_anyone down so we sent two shuttles. I of course was on one of them. Seeing our missing crewmembers_   
_all gathered outside to greet us was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen._

_We all spent another twelve hours in the system. While we packed up equipment, Dr McCoy made sure_   
_that everyone (particularly a certain pregnant crewmember) got a complete physical. L’Naym insisted that_   
_she and the baby were both fine and that both Alyen, Belzoni and the rest of the children had taken care_   
_great of her. But McCoy only said, “ **I don’t care if an entire Starbase was watching you, Sweetheart.**_   
_**I’m still the Chief Medical Officer of this bucket of bolts."**   
  
_ _We also had extensive briefings. I have nothing but praise for Lieutenant Akari’s leadership of the refugees_   
_during our separation and I’ve been sure to put a commendation in his file. Crewman L’Naym was important_   
_too, in acting as an ‘early warning system’ for the colonists. But then everyone there played an important part._   
_Every member of the caravan is vital._

_We also went over the system data the crewmembers gathered during their stay. I doubt that anyone will be_   
_interested in establishing a colony on Haven. The frequent meteor storms make it unsafe and the regular block_   
_in communications when they happen only add to its undesirability. The fourth planet’s methane oceans_   
_are very interesting and I can see definitely someone coming back here to take another look at them._

_But that will be someone else’s worry. We, along with the Andaman, are now heading toward Depot 14._   
_One of the main functions of a starbase is to act as support for all the ships that explore and patrol our frontiers._   
_But over the past several years the frontier has been growing faster than new starbases can be put in place_   
_to support it._

_Depots, like the one we’re heading too now, are an affordable and quick solution and more and more_   
_of them have begun dotting the Federation’s perimeters. They comprise of three or four habitat modules_   
_plugged into a central communications/sensor hub and are easily assembled, disassembled and relocated._   
_They usually only have crews of about two hundred, but they serve as support, supplier and repair station_   
_for ships in remote, far away areas. Well, they’ll be supporting us, we’re heading there to get repairs done_   
_and resupplied._

_Since we picked up the rest of our crewmates, I’ve heard a few jokes about them being ‘The Castaways.’_   
_I suppose they were. They were on that planet for nine days and had no way of knowing if they would ever_   
_leave it or see their families or home worlds again. But during those nine days they all conducted themselves_   
_as Starfleet personnel and they made a mark on a world, albeit briefly. As dangerous as that planet was,_   
_it granted them sanctuary and if circumstances had been different it might have become their new home_   
_and ours as well._

_The kids certainly made their mark. Crewman L’Naym had encouraged them to decorate one of the smaller_   
_caverns and its walls were filled with ‘cave paintings.’ Any archeologist who goes to that planet thousands_   
_of years from now will find an interesting puzzle! Little Trisha Deerhorn was even complaining that now that_   
_they were leaving they wouldn’t get to build a city on the planet anymore._

_The entire ship has been happy about the reunion of our family. Our enforced separation has made us all_   
_appreciate each other more. We’re Starfleet, we’re Saratogans and our strength comes from each other._

_James T Kirk._


	35. Clusters and Showers

_Captain’s Log_   
_Stardate 2261/11/5_

_We’ve spent two days at the depot, being restocked and undergoing remaining repairs. I had a couple_   
_of on-screen meetings with Admiral Pike and a couple other admirals as well. Before leaving the_   
_area of the V’drass Cloud we left behind warning beacons to steer other ships away. Starfleet plans_   
_to launch regular  probes to try to learn more about the radiation the cloud emits so that we can_   
_possibly come up with shielding against it._

_I had a lot of talks with my crew, particularly the ‘Castaways.’ I’m proud of all of them. During their exile_   
_they didn’t just sit around waiting to be rescued, they put together and implemented long term plans._   
_I doubt that they would have stayed on that planetoid for the rest of their lives; the Andaman was looking_   
_for us after all and if they hadn’t found anything, other ships would have come to check. There are some_   
_benefits to being a high profile Captain-if you turn up missing people want to know why._

_But still…they might have been there for months or years. I don’t think when any of them joined Starfleet,_   
_that spending months or years on a barren rock was what they had in mind. But Starfleet teaches you_   
_to expect the unexpected._

_I’m proud of the rest of my crew as well. All of them held together during the crisis. Even Dr. McCoy,_   
_who never once stopped complaining about having to wear an environmental suit and helmet non-stop_   
_for six days. I can still hear his voice in my head: “ **Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it is to**_   
**_sleep or work in these things? I’m a doctor, not an astronaut!”_ **

_I knew how he felt. When I was finally able to take my helmet off I wanted to burn it. And I don’t_   
_want to see another environmental suit for at least a year._

_We and the Andaman are now on our way to the Golee Cluster, a large cluster of G and F type stars_   
_that stretches across two sectors. The Andaman’s focus is the study of astronomical phenomena_   
_and this is right up their alley. The Saratoga’s scientific focus is more general but we exist_   
_to take a closer look._

_And I sense that all of this is a chance for things to get back to normal for the crew. As normal_   
_as possible for a Federation starship anyway._

_James T Kirk_

********************************************************************

_11/16/2261_   
_Alyen and L’Naym’s Quarters_   
_12:00 PM_

L’Naym rubbed her stomach gently. She was six months along. Four more months to go until she   
and her lifemate could hold their son in their arms. They were counting the days.

While at the depot they had made an official request. It was a little sad to leave the quarters that   
they had had for nearly three years, but with a child coming they needed the extra room.

The request had been readily granted and they had spent much of the two day docking period  
moving their things. (With help from their many friends of course)

She glanced down at her arms noting another change made. From the time she had come to the   
Saratoga she had worn the short sleeved dress uniform. After returning from Haven she had started   
putting on the long sleeved one. On Nlia it was common to changing the one’s dress style when   
going through a major life change.

 _And so much has changed_ she thought happily. _I’m going to be…no, I **am** a mother. My son may _  
_not be born yet but I have a son._

_The Joined Soul gently reached out and touched her unborn._   
_And rejoiced when she felt him reach back._

Her smile broadened as she felt him stirring. At six months she could now feel her child physically   
and loved the feel of his tiny movements.

She focused her attention back outward to the others surrounding her. Lieutenants Richards,   
Rodriguez, Deerhorn, Silverstein, Chief Petty Officer Mayberry and Matthews, Natasha and   
Trisha had all come together to give her what Humans called a ‘baby shower.’

Humans had some different customs than she was used to. On Nlia there were many ceremonies   
to celebrate the birth of a child and both males and female participated. But her Saratogan friends   
had insisted that a baby shower was a ‘woman’s only’ event. Well, in a few months she and her   
lifemate would hold a proper Naming for their son and everyone would see how Nlians celebrated.

Her own Naming had been tinged with sorrow. Her mother, Kalii, had died seven days after giving   
birth; the very same day that Namings were traditionally held. On Nlia the deceased were buried   
as quickly as possible due to the hot, desert climate and the funeral had taken place two days later.

The Naming had taken place two days after the funeral. Before Kalii had died, family and friends   
on both sides had already gathered to say their farewells to her and to comfort her lifemate,   
so they had simply stayed longer, first for her Burial and then the Naming of her only child.

For the Naming, Farseen L’Naym had had the house lavishly decorated and the Naming   
accompanied by music, feasting and celebration. But everyone had felt his grief.

L’Naym’s hand once again went to her stomach. Hopefully her son’s Naming would be a time   
only of joy.

She once again focused her attention on her friends. She had been part of the shower held  
for Matthews and always delighted to put together parties and events for the crew. But it was   
another matter entirely to have one held for herself and it moved her no end.

 


	36. Engineering and Sickbay

_Captain’s Log_  
_Stardate 2261.12.5._

 _The Saratoga and the Andaman charted the Golee Cluster together for nearly a month.  
We made _ _incredible discoveries together and more importantly we formed many new friendships.  
I hope _ _Starfleet considers having ships working in tandems more often. I’ve heard some Captains  
say _ _that out in space just with yourself and your crew, it can seem a bit lonely. It’s always good to_  
_see new faces. It’s always good to be reminded that you’re not alone out here._

 _But eventually our two ships once again had to part ways. We’re going to be spending the next_  
_two weeks performing studies in the Ychara System.  It has six planets, the second or which is  
an M class world with _ _a pre-warp, pre-Industrial civilization. I’ve been regularly sending down  
survey teams to gather _ _as much data as possible and yet avoid being spotted by the locals.  
The first planet is K class _ _and has a very unique moon which exploded about thirty years ago,  
so Stellar Sciences will be _ _busy as well._

_James T Kirk._

* * *

_Engineering_

Be a ship at warp, impulse or simply holding in space, Engineering was always busy and the _Saratoga’s_   
was no exception.

Filars paused in her discussion with one of her engineers and looked upward at the sole blue uniform  
in the room. “Are you all right up there, Crewman?”

L’Naym nodded. Usually when she wanted to think she would go to the botanic labs, the arboretum  
or the lounge. But sometimes she came down to Engineering. She would stand or sit on one of the  
upper bridges and silently watch those below her work. She was always quiet and never in the way,  
but of late others had noticed her doing it more often.

“I’m not in the way I hope?” she asked.

“Not at all. It’s just I’ve been seeing you come down here a lot lately.”

“The sound of machines reminds me of the foundries of Khasha sometimes. I’ve always found it soothing.”   
She paused. “And lately I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

She took a breath. "But its time for me to go. I have an appointment in Medical."

* * *

_Sickbay_

“Well, the baby’s doing just fine,” McCoy said. “Getting bigger every time I examine him.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” L’Naym sat up slowly. Normally her lifemate was present for her regular pre-natal   
exams, but today he had been assigned to one of the away teams on the planet’s surface. Many teams   
had been sent since arriving and although L’Naym hadn’t been allowed to go on any, she had kept   
busy with studying the plant samples that the teams brought back.

“Doctor…” L’Naym paused and rubbed her rounded stomach gently.  “Doctor…what do you know  
about...Lungarus Syndrome?”

McCoy paused. He knew both L’Naym’s personal and family medical history and had thought that at   
some point she might ask that question. “I know that it’s a Nlian illness. Very rare but very nasty.   
It shuts down both the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. They found a cure for it back in 2242.”

“It’s how my mother died,” the botanist said softly. “She was seven months into her pregnancy when   
she contracted it.” She paused even longer. “As far along as I am now.”

There was silence for a few moments. L’Naym bowed her head. “She spent three months in the hospital.   
But all the healers’ efforts to treat her failed.”

She looked up. “But her greatest fear wasn’t for herself…it was for me. A Nlian female’s womb's has   
natural defenses that protect the baby from disease. But due to the strong vascular link between   
a mother and her unborn child, she knew that if she died before I was ready to be born… I would die   
too. Because of the link I couldn't be removed and placed in an artificial womb."

She drew a shuddered breath. “So she fought. For three months she fought to stay alive. Even though  
she was in constant pain, even after t became obvious that there was no hope for her, she fought to live   
long enough to give birth. She wasted away until she was a shell of her former self. But she kept fighting.   
For me.”

McCoy gently put a hand on the Nlian’s shoulder “And I know she thought that you were more than   
worth it,” he said softly.

L’Naym smiled very slightly before her face once again grew solemn. “She died only a few days after   
I was born. Jim and I have something in common: he never knew his father and I never knew my mother.   
I know her only from holo images, recordings she made and the stories and memories that my father   
and others shared with me. But it wasn’t the same as her actually being there.

“Unlike Jim, I never lacked for a moment’s attention. My father was there every day for me. I grew up   
surrounded by both his love and the love of my family. I never lacked for love... but I still lacked for   
my mother. I never knew her but I still missed her.”

She sighed “And I still do. Especially now.”

“That’s pretty natural,” McCoy said quietly. “It’s normal for people to think about the past when they’re   
expecting. Have you talked to Alyen?”

She nodded. “There are no secrets between us.”

“That’s good. Keep talking to him. From our exams I know that you’re not suffering from depression,  
just regular concerns and thinking about the past. You and the baby are both healthy, but I want both  
of you to stay that way, physically and mentally.

“Jim won’t be allowing you on away missions until after the baby’s born and that’s good; the less stress  
that you’re under the better. Take it easy and relax whenever possible. Spend as much time with your   
lifemate as you can. If you think about your mother, feel sad or anxious, talk to him. Talk to Jim.   
Talk to your friends. I’m also recommending that you talk to Sanchez.” He smiled slightly. “And I’m here   
too.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

L’Naym got up and prepared to go change.

“Shylea.”

L’Naym looked back in surprise. The CMO seldom addressed her so informally.

“Shylea, there’s a difference between you and Jim. “You never knew your mother, but _she_ got the chance   
to know _you_ , if only for a few days. That’s more than Jim’s father had.”

“My father often told me that she called me her greatest treasure,” L’Naym whispered.

“You were. And I know she’d be very proud of you.”

 


	37. Thoughts on changes

_Captain’s Log_  
_Stardate 2261.12.23_

 _The Saratoga is currently enjoying its bi-annual break and is being upgraded at Starbase Libra_   _which orbits  
the 7th planet in the Kovel System. I’ve decided to spend my vacation on the 4th  _ _planet in the system_  
_the world of Caprilel._

 _It’s a lush green world very similar to Earth and with a pleasant climate, particularly in the region_ _around  
the capital, Delvi, where I’m staying. The inhabitants are known for their love of cosmopolitan _ _life, as well  
as their great hospitality and it’s a very popular place for tourists. Several of my crew _ _have chosen to_  
_spend their leave here as well, including two Nlian crewmen that I’m well acquainted with._

_James T Kirk._

* * *

  _Lobby of the Galassa Hotel_  
_6:12 PM_

“Still keeping a log, Jim?” Alyen asked with one of his gently smiles. “You are _on_ leave you know.”  
   
Kirk grinned back at his Soul Brother “What can I say? Old habits.”

He glanced around the huge lobby. He always enjoyed being in the center of the action and the elegant  
hotel where they were staying was a great place for it.

Delye was huge city, located on the shores of a vast lake. It had a population of over nine million and was  
famous for its graceful skyscrapers and incredible nightly laser displays, which had earned it the nickname,  
“The Laser City.” It had been a popular place to visit even before a starbase had been built in the system  
fifty years before.

Several of his crew were also shore-leaving on the planet. McCoy, Filars and Tolliver were staying in  
the same hotel. In the five days since they’d arrived, Kirk had made it a point to spend time with all  
of them. And it had felt good…Good to not be the Captain for awhile. Good to be just a man on vacation,  
spending time with his friends.

Today he had spent the day with his Soul Siblings.

While Kirk had quite a few exciting plans for his stay on this world, including mountain climbing in  
the Northern Province and some of the “Extreme Sports’ in the southern hemisphere, his Soul Siblings,  
he knew, planned for theirs to be a relaxing shore leave.

The lifemates had spent much of their first morning sleeping in and when they’d gotten up they had  
explored the hotel, its gardens and a nearby park. That had pretty much been their schedule since:  
resting, exploring nearby areas of the city, doing a bit of shopping, with an occasional tour thrown in.

It did L’Naym good to be outside. She hadn’t been allowed to go on away missions for some time,  
so she’d had to confine her wanderings to the ship. It felt good to be outside, under the sky and  
breathing fresh air.

She’d particularly enjoyed the night tour that the three of them had gone on last night. It was a boat  
tour that took passengers on a two hour excursion along the lake shore, letting them see the city lights  
and stunning laser show from a distance

Today they had visited the Tower Gardens, a huge, many-storied botanic garden that had vaguely  
reminded Kirk of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It was a masterpiece of both botanic, engineering  
and hydraulic design. The Nlians had enjoyed every minute of it and Kirk had too. He would always be  
an adventurer, but during his command of the _Saratoga_ he had come to appreciate quieter pastimes  
as well.

And quieter pastimes had taught him to become more observant as well. Even though his Soul Sister had  
enjoyed herself, he had noticed that she often seemed thoughtful. Kirk had often noticed that in her aboard  
the _Saratoga_ lately and he and his Soul Siblings had had quite a few talks.

He was having one now with Alyen while L’Naym had stepped into a hotel shop. “How's she been lately,  
Tuskaro?” he asked.

“She’s been very thoughtful,” Alyen said quietly. “It’s not sadness or depression, she’s just as overjoyed about  
our little one as always. It’s just…" He took a breath. "So much has changed, Jim. Our baby’s going to change  
our lives in so many ways. So many changes…so many new responsibilities. I suppose with everything that’s  
happening and will happen, it’s natural. She's thinking about the past and the future.”

He glanced in the direction his lifemate had gone. “If Shylea’s mother had lived she would be constantly  
turning to her for comfort and advice now.”

“But she didn’t and so she can’t,” Kirk sighed. Things had always been tense between him and his own  
mother, but he still called her now and then. Even though he didn’t do it often it was a comfort to know  
that he _could._  

“She's been calling her father a lot," Alyen continued. "And she's not without female advice. She’s been  
talking to all the mothers on the _Saratoga_. And she’s been talking to her Aunt Brimyl back home too.  
After her mother died, Brimyl, along with her grandmother, were the only mother figures Shylea knew.  
Talking to her always comforts her.”

He took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking a lot too. About my growing up years. Wondering if I’ll be  
a good father. Jim... I’ve loved my son from the moment that he came into existence and I know that  
there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for him. But sometimes I’m so afraid that I’ll do something wrong.  
That I’ll fail him.”

“Every father worries about that.” Kirk smiled gently. “At least the ones who deserve to be fathers.”

"I've been talking to the different fathers on the _Saratoga._ "They all told me they thought the exact  
same things when their children were on the way."

"See? You're perfectly normal."

Alyen gave one of his shy smiles before abruptly straightening as he looked over Kirk’s shoulder.  
“Beloved.”

Kirk turned to see L’Naym approaching with some packages. “Hey sis.”

She smiled at him and then went to her lifemate who gave her a gentle embrace. Both their eyes met  
as they silently communed.

“So, you guys ready to head over to head over to the restaurant to eat?” Kirk asked.

“Not yet.” L’Naym reached out and took his hand.

 _Two Souls Touched._  
_A Joined Soul and a Soul that she and her Other half had touched._

 _*Jim. Could you come up to our room for awhile? There’s something I wanted_ _to share with you.  
I’ve shared it with Tuskaro, but I want you to see it too.*_

 


	38. A Mother's Message

_Alyen and L’Naym’s Hotel Room  
_ _6:45 PM_

L’Naym went over to a desk, opened it and slowly pulled out a data chip. “My mother made this,"  
she said softly. “For me. It started out as a personal journal, but it turned into a series of messages.  
She started right after the Mating struck her and she kept doing it right up until…” she swallowed.

She came over to Tuskaro and sat beside him on their bed. “Just before she died she gave   
it to my father and asked him to give it to me when I was ten and ready for my Long Walk.   
It was the first time I had ever seen it and the first time he had seen it since she died.   
We watched it together and we both cried for hours afterwards. The next day I showed   
it to Grandmother and Aunt Brimyl and we all cried afterwards.

"Ever since then I’ve made it a point to watch it once each year. Often alone, sometimes with D’Ray,  
and ever since we lifemated, with Tuskaro. There’s never a set day for when I watch it. I just do  
it when I feel the time is right.”

She paused. “This year it’s today.”

She activated the chip and a holographic image of a Nlian woman appeared. Kirk immediately  
recognized her from images L’Naym has shown him.

Kalii Ryleth. Noted hydrologist and irrigator. Mother to Shylea L’Naym. She bore a strong resemblance  
to her daughter, although her hair was much shorter and worn differently. Her eyes were her daughter’s  
eyes. Her smile, although quieter than her daughter’s, was bright and it was obvious that she was  
a strong, vibrant woman, filled with life.

She was smiling and her hands kept going to her flat stomach.

* * *

_9.28.2234_

_“I normally don’t make personal journals, but this event is too special, too wonderful, for me not  
to make some kind of record._

_“Last evening, the Mating struck my beloved and me. We were both sitting outside in the garden  
_ _enjoying the weather. The sun had set and it was twilight. Twilight, be it morning or evening,  
_ _has always been one of my favorite times of day and that one was especially beautiful._ _I turned to_  
_Farseen to comment on how lovely it was. And it happened.”_

She paused and her next words where whispered. _“Afterwards, as we lay in each other’s arms,_  
_I turned to him and all I could say over and over was, ‘We have made a child, Beloved. We have_  
_made a child.’”_

* * *

_10.3.2234_

_“Hello, my little one._

_“I’ve decided to keep making these recordings…as a message for you. Your father and I will  
_ _constantly share our love with you, both while you’re in my womb and after…but you won’t  
remember it. I’ve decided that it will be nice to make a permanent record. Something that we  
_ _can all look back on and share over and over in the years to come.”_

She smiled as she rubbed her stomach. “ _I’ve been to the healer and she assured me that  
__you’re healthy. I’ve yet to hold you in my arms and I don’t even know yet what your gender  
is,_ _but I already know that I love you with all the love that is within me.”_

* * *

More messages followed.  
Daily events and observations.  
Words of love.  

* * *

_11.3.2234_

Kalii was positively glowing _. “Hello, my daughter_.

 _“Today the healer told me that I would be bringing a little girl into the world.  
  
"I would _ _have loved you no matter what gender you were, but knowing makes this somehow_  
_more….real._

 _"N_ _ow that we know, your father and I will have a better idea of what sort of names to consider._  
_And I’ll have a better idea of how to fix up the nursery. I’ve already chosen the perfect spot,_  
_the small room overlooking the gardens. I’m already planning to decorate it with flowers.  
I've always loved flowers. Hopefully you will too.”_

L’Naym gave a soft sob.

Kalii paused. “ _I can’t wait to hold you in my arms. To see your small face and count all of your_  
_fingers and toes. I’m so anticipating seeing you. Anticipating how you will fill this house with_  
_your presence.”_

* * *

Other messages followed.  
Dreams and plans for the future.  
Joy at the coming new life.

* * *

_12/3/2234_

“ _Your father and I were resting together on the couch. He placed his hand on my stomach  
as both _ _of us reached out to you. He looked at me and said, “_ I have never been so happy _.”  
I too felt whole _ _in a way I had never felt before.”_

* * *

_1/3/2235_

_“If only you could see your father and me now! We’ve both had months to accept that you're  
coming _ _and yet sometimes it  still seems so unreal. If only you knew how much you've already  
changed our lives._ _For the better. I can honestly say that from the Time the Mating struck, this  
has been the happiest period_ _of our lives together._

 _“We’re constantly wondering about you. What will you look like? What what sort of person will you be?  
What will you like and dislike? Will you be a hydrologist like me? A metal smith like your father? _   
_A scout like my parents? A scholar like your father’s parents? Something else altogether?  
_ _The possibilities_ _are endless after all._

 _“We both worry sometimes. Worry and wonder rather or not we’ll be good parents._   
_My mother says I’ve always been maternal and your Uncle Ingclo told your father that he  
thought that he’d t_ _ake to being_ _a parent as easily as he takes to the forge._

 _“Assurances aside I know that we’re bound to make a lot of mistakes, but I promise you this,  
my daughter- both your father and I will always be there for you.”_ 

* * *

  _2/14/2235_

_“Today when I reached out to you I felt your tiny soul respond. My little one, the joy I feel  
is beyond description.”_

* * *

_3/23/2235_

_“You’re getting bigger and stronger every day. When I feel you moving inside me I wonder  
if it’s possible for anyone to be as happy as me._

_“Hurry to me, my little one, I’m waiting. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms. I can’t wait_ _for  
you to arrive and for our life as a family to begin.”_

* * *

_4/8/2235_

_“Today was a perfect day. Your father and I had gone to Aaupa to visit my sister and her lifemate.  
Ingclo and Tiray were visiting too. Today all of us went to the beach and visited the Miewa Coves.  
All of us were in _ _the water talking, laughing and, in little D’Ray’s case, splashing and playing.  
She is such a bundle_ _of energy, my sister’s child! Barely three and such a handful!  And she's  
so excited about having a new cousin! I can only imagine the antics the two_   _of you will have_  
_as you play together!_

 _"As I sat there watching her, I imagined what it would be like to watch you play. I’ve always l_ _oved  
music and I already know that your laughter will be the most wonderful music I have _ _yet to hear.”_

* * *

Shylea paused the recording. “This is when it starts to change,” she whispered.

* * *

_4/11/2235_

Kalii’s face was pale with exhaustion and deep worry.

 _“We’re in the hospital, little one,”_ she said softly _. “I’ve been feeling chills for the past few days._  
_They started before your father and I visited Aaupa, but they were minor and never lasted long  
so_ _I didn’t think anything of it_.

 _“When we got back home I started feeling worse. I was in the bedroom when suddenly I felt_  
_as if the temperature had dropped. The strength went out of my legs  and I collapsed to the floor.  
I felt like I was suddenly trapped in an ice machine and I couldn’t_ _stop shaking._

_"I was afraid…so afraid. All I could think of was what if something was wrong with you?_

_“Your father sensed my distress and rushed in. He took one look at me and called for help.  
I started crying and saying over and over, "The baby. The baby..."_

_"And now we’re both sitting in the hospital while the healers run tests. Their exams seemed  
_ _to show that you’re all right , but what is happening?"_

* * *

_4/13/2235_

_"My sister and mother are here, they came as soon as your father contacted them_ _and that comforts me._

_"But not as much as it will comfort me to know that you’re all right._

* * *

_4/14/2235_

_"Today the healers spoke to your father and me. There’s nothing wrong with you.  
I’m the one who is ill._

_They told me that I have Lungarus Syndrome. It’s very rare and very dangerous.  
There is no concern _ _about you contracting it- my womb's natural defenses will protect you._

_But if the healers aren’t able to treat me…"_

* * *

More entries followed.  
Updates on doctor reports and treatments.

Kalii’s appearance began to change.  
She grew paler.  
She lost weight.   
Her hair began to thin.

* * *

_4/22/2235_

_“I imagine I don’t look well at all, little one. But you’re still healthy and that gives me joy.”_

* * *

_4/30/2235_

_"I lie in bed and feel you moving and that comforts me as nothing else."_

* * *

More entries followed.

Kalii’s appearance continued to worsen.  
Her hair began to fall out.  
Her once strong, vibrant voice grew hoarse and weak.

* * *

_5/12/2235_

_“Today the healers told me that there’s nothing else they can do. I already knew anyway.  
_ _I can feel my body giving out.”_

Her face grew grim in determination. “ _But I can’t die. Not now. If I die now, you’ll die as_ _well  
and I cannot and **will not** let that happen. _

_“The healers informed me that in some species, if there are complications with the pregnancy,_  
_the unborn child can be removed and placed in an artificial womb. But that’s not an option for_ _  
our people because of the strong vascular link that mother and unborn child share._

_“So I have to stay alive for at least another two months. Long enough for you to be able  
to survive outside my womb. And I **will**. I **will** stay alive.”_

_She paused. “I remember hearing stories once about the Planetary Defense Force that  
the government _ _put together long ago to protect our world when they first learned of hostile  
alien races. Our people had no experience with warfare, so t_ _hey asked Tkarite and Andorian  
warriors to help train the first _ _members._

_“I am not a warrior. I have never handled a weapon. I have never raised my hand against another  
living creature __my entire life. I don't think that I 've even raised so much as my voice to another.  
But I am going to fight now. I'm going to fight against this disease that’s killing me._ _I’m going_  
_to fight for you, my daughter. And I_ **will** win."

* * *

More entries.  
With each one it seemed that Kalii looked worse.  
The disease was slowly sucking the life out of her.  
But the determination in her eyes never faded.  
And she continued to fight.

Finally.

* * *

_7/23/2235_

_“I’m getting weaker but the healers told me that you are now_ _strong enough to leave_ _the womb.  
The relief I felt was indescribable. For months I’ve fought to hold on…for you. _  
_Now…now you’ll be safe._

_“In a few hours I’ll be going ‘under the knife’ as an associate of mine from Earth would say.  
I’m too weak to try to deliver naturally so the healers will remove you surgically."_

* * *

_7/25/2235_

Kalii was tenderly holding a wrapped bundle. She was completely bald now, her face gaunt,  
her eyes sunken. Her voice was hoarse and faint. But she still glowed with joy.

 _“You were born two days ago. You were conceived in twilight and you were born in twilight.  
_ _When I held you in my arms for the first time I had never in my life felt such joy…or such_ _grief._

 _“My beautiful little daughter, you were finally here. I knew from the moment I saw you_ _that you  
were **mine**. I could have picked you out from every child in this hospital. You are my daughter, _  
_my greatest treasure and my greatest joy.”_

She lay a tender kiss on her baby’s forehead. “ _But I will soon leave you. I used all of my strength_  
_to stay alive long enough to bring you into this world. Now…my strength is gone. I feel myself_  
_weakening more every day. A year from now you will be taking your first steps and saying your_  
_first words. But I won’t be there.”_

Tears started coming to her eyes. “ _My precious, little one. You are the joy of my life. The very  
beat of my heart. My greatest treasure. And I'm going to leave you.”_

Tears were raining down her face. _“Please forgive me, my precious daughter. Forgive me_  
_for leaving you. Forgive me for making you grow up without a mother. Forgive me for not_  
_being there.”_

 _S_ he was sobbing now. _“I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you. I want to watch you grow up.  
I want to __watch you take your first steps. I want to watch you laugh and play. I want to be there_  
_when you need advice, comfort or simply a hug. I want to be there to share your times of joy.  
I want to be there to comfort you in your times of sorrow. I want to be there for you for all  
the times_ _that you’ll need me. I want to be there for all the times that you’ll need your mother_.”

 _“Please…please forgive me, my beloved daughter. Please forgive me for leaving you.  
_ _Forgive me for not being there. Forgive me….”_

* * *

_7/27/2235_

_“It feels good to be back home. I insisted on leaving the hospital two days after you were born._  
_There was no point in staying- you’re healthy and there is nothing more the healers can do_  
_for me. I’ve had enough of hospitals. I want to spend my last days in my own home.  
  
"I have_ _to wear a breathing mask now. I take it off when I make these so you can hear everything_  
_I say clearly._ _I know that soon…soon this and other recordings will be_ _all that you will have of my voice._

 _“I want to tell you this especially._ _When your father brought us home I asked him to carry me outside._  
_I’ll soon be too weak to be moved, but I was determined to do this. I was determined to Name you._  
_Normally a child is Named on the seventh day of their life, but I’m not sure if I’ll still be alive then._  
_You father has promised to hold a proper Ceremony for you…afterwards, but I was determined_  
_to do this one thing. Name you Mother to Daughter as has been done since the Days of Wandering._

 _“I carried you outside with only your father and the Giver of All as witness. First I spoke your name  
in your ear so that you would be the first to know your name and the first to hear it _ _it spoken aloud._

 _"T_ _hen I spoke it to your father. Then I presented you to the Giver and told Him. I repeat it to_ _you now  
that you may know and remember._  

 _“You were conceived in twilight, you were born in twilight. You are Shylea, ‘Twilight’s Gift.’_  
_Shylea, Daughter of Kalii. Shylea, Daughter of Farseen. Shylea of the families of Ryleth and L’Naym._  
_Shylea, Child of the Desert. Shylea, Daughter of Nlia. You are Shylea L’Naym._

_"Know and remember always.”_

* * *

_7/28/2235_

Kalii’s voice now was even weaker and she was speaking while lying down.

 _“Shylea, from the moment you were born, I’ve begrudged every minute that you’re not in my arms.  
_ _I hold you constantly and even sleep with you in my arms. Because…I know…"_

* * *

_7/29/2235_

_“You had a visitor last night. D’Ray was_ …” she broke off in a fit of coughing. _“She was…determined...  
to meet…her new cousin. I asked her…to help take care of you. __I want you to have….a special friend.”_

* * *

_7/30/2235_

Kalii’s voice was now a barely audible whisper and she struggled to speak.

 “ _I…love you, Shylea….Always love you…”_

* * *

  _Alyen and L’Naym’s Hotel Room  
9:00 PM_

The recording went silent.

L'Naym was sobbing quietly. He lifemate and Soul Brother also had tears in their eyes.

Gently her lifemate wrapped his arms around her. Her Soul brother hugged her as well.

_Three Souls Touched._

_There were no words.  
Just sorrow, comfort, gratitude.  
__And above all, love_.


	39. Enroute to Starbase

_Captain’s Log  
_ _Stardate 2262.2.6_

_The past month has been busy. After the Saratoga finished its furlough, our next assignment  
_ _was in the Telyar System conducting planetary studies._

_Telyar III is an arid M class moon comprised mainly of desert, canyons and scrubland._ _Its inhabited  
by an avian-like species. They live in small nomadic clans made up of 20-30 members and, from Earth’s  
standpoint, are still living in the Stone Ages. A Federation observation team has been studying them_  
_and the planet for nearly two years now. We were sent to help them in their research and we wound_  
_up staying for two weeks._

 _Although an arid world, the planet has lakes and inland seas. The largest has an uninhabited island  
_ _about the size of Long island and it was there that the team, headed by Dr. Venkoris, had established  
their base. The indigenous species hasn't developed boats yet and the area where that sea is was _ _  
also uninhabited,so it was a good spot. As is my habit whenever we stay near a habitable planet  
for more than a week, I had the Saratoga land on the island as well, turning our ship into _ _a research  
base. _ _The crew enjoyed the chance to get off the ship during their off hours to stretch their legs._

 _Crewman L’Naym especially enjoyed the chance to get off the ship, something that she hasn’t_  
_been able to do as often, as her pregnancy has progressed. Telyar is largely desert, so it reminded_  
_her of her home planet in many ways. She was also interested in the inhabitants and said that_ _they  
lived much like her ancestors had during the Days of Wandering, thousands of years ago._

 _There was a canyon not far from camp that she particularly enjoyed and she often told her_ _team  
members about the famous Sunlo Canyons and their cities all carved out of solid rock:_ _Arday,  
the City of Canyon Song, Dnira, the City of Bright Glow, Klomin the Encircled City,_ _Talee the  
City of Sunlight and Tanlon the City of Red Rock. I remembered how impressed_ _I was when  
I saw them during my visit to Nlia. The port city of Dnira was one of the loveliest_ _cities I'd_  
ever seen.

 _After we left Telyar, our next assignment was to survey the Dovine System, specifically the 4_ th planet.  
_Dovine IV is G class (Geo-metalic) world about the size of Earth. The USS Artemis discovered_  
_it during a patrol, but didn’t have time to inspect it. So once again it was time for a Delphis_  
_class to take a closer look._

 _We stayed for eleven days and what we found was incredible. The planet has an impressive_ _ring  
system around it, a remnant of a relatively large moon. But what is truly fascinating about __it_  
_is the sheer amount of minerals and metals on it. Our geology department had a field day!_

 _Important minerals and ores are transported and processed in foundries across the Federation_  
_every day. Before that happens, all these materials have to be mined somewhere. And it looks_  
_like we’ve discovered an important new mining world for the Federation._

 _We’re now on our way to Starbase 11, where we’ll be for three days. It’s one of the key_ _administrative  
facilities in the Alpha Quadrant and they’re going to be holding some important_ _meetings there.  
Admiral Pike will be there too and he wants me to attend. My old **‘friend’** , Admiral_ _Jones_  
is going to be there as well.

 _I’m still looking forward to going however. Not only because of seeing Admiral Pike, but also_   
_for the surprise that I have there for Crewman L’Naym._

_James T. Kirk_


	40. Surprise

_2.9.2262_   
_Starbase 11_   
_Restaurant_

“No peeking!” Kirk’s words were firm but his tone rich with amusement.

Another crewmember might have said, _“This is dumb. Just tell me the surprise.”_ But not L’Naym.   
When her Captain had invited her and Tuskaro to one of the starbase’s many restaurants and then had   
asked her to both close and cover her eyes, she had readily assented with a chuckle.

“Can I open my eyes yet?” she asked

“Not yet,” her Soul Brother answered. She heard him speak to her lifemate. “Tuskaro, this will be a   
shock for you too, but don’t say anything until she sees.”

A moment later she heard footsteps. Then she heard her lifemate gasp and felt his surprise through their Bond.

“Okay, Open!”

L’Naym removed her hands and opened her eyes to behold…

**_“D’Ray!?”_ **

Before her, light years from Nlia, stood her cousin/Soul Sister, D’Ray Torash.

With a delighted squeal, L’Naym sprung to her feet and crushed her Soul Sister to her in a joyous embrace,   
which D’Ray returned just as ardently.

L’Naym pulled back and stared at her Soul Sister in shock. “But how…?” she gasped.

D’Ray grinned. “Captain Kirk helped to arrange it. And I’m indebted to him- I not only get to see you,   
but this is my first trip offworld. It’s been amazing so far.”

Kirk for his part was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “You would not believe the effort it took to get it   
all coordinated! Contacting her, making schedule arrangements, and above all keeping any word of this   
from reaching you! I couldn’t let Tuskaro know either because there are no secrets between lifemates.”

“How long will you be visiting?” L’Naym asked.

“I’ll be at this base for exactly three days.” D’Ray paused. “And then I’m coming with you.”

“What!?”

“I’m taking a vacation. Vronie and Betrell will be managing the company while I’m away.   
Kordeno will be helping too; he’s been insisting that he’s ready for more responsibility.”   
She chuckled, “Even Bludye will be helping out. You know how my little brother loves to entertain.”

She nodded toward Kirk. “Captain Kirk’s made the arrangements with Starfleet. I’ll be a civilian   
guest onboard the Saratoga for nearly two months. I’m going to help you through the last part of   
your pregnancy and a few weeks after the baby comes.”

Her face grew serious. “I know the past couple of months have been hard on you, Sister.   
I’ve noticed it in our subspace talks and the Captain’s noticed too. A pregnancy is normally  
a joyous occasion, but it can often be rough emotionally and the more family one has around   
them the better.”

Her smile returned. “So…I’m going to help you out through your last month. And then I’m going   
to stick around for awhile to help with my new nephew…” her eyebrow raised “before  you go home   
for maternity leave and he gets swamped by the rest of the family!”

Her smile turned mischievous. “And besides…I think it will do your crew good to meet another Nlian.   
We can’t have them thinking that all of our people are as soft spoken and gentle as you and Tuskaro.”   
Her eyes twinkled wickedly. “Oh yes. It will do them good to meet someone who’s more…lively!”

She chuckled. “I’m looking forward to meeting your ship’s Tellerite Chef.” She began to laugh harder.   
“And from what Tuskaro’s told me about Dr. McCoy, I’m sure that he and I are going to be <I>great</I>   
friends!”

Kirk laughed as well and stood. “I’ll leave the three of you to chat. I’ve got to get ready for those meetings.   
From what Admiral Pike’s told me so far, I probably won’t be seeing much of you until we’re ready to leave.”

“Jim.” L’Naym held out her hand to her Soul Brother.

Without hesitation he took it.

_Two Souls touched._   
_A Joined Soul and a Soul she and her Other Half had touched._

_*Jim…Soul Brother…*_

_She flooded him with her love and gratitude._

_He flooded her with his love and appreciation._

_*Thank you, Soul Brother. Thank you…so much.*_

_*You’re welcome, Sis.*_

_He began to chuckle. *From what you’ve told me and from speaking to her, I’m pretty sure D’Ray’s_   
_going to have a **lot** of fun with Bones!”_

_She chuckled as well. *Oh yes. My sister’s a bit more…mellow now than she was when we were_   
_children. But some things never change over the years. And one thing that hasn’t is that the less sense_   
_of humor someone has, the more tempting they are for her to target!*_


	41. Another Log Entry

_Captain’s Log_   
_Stardate 2262.2.13_

_The Saratoga has completed its time on Starbase 11. A lot was topics were discussed during_   
_the meetings, one of which was the current state of the Fleet. Since Nero’s rampage Starfleet_   
_has made it a goal to complete at least four new ships every year. A goal that has been maintained_   
_and exceeded. Ten new ships have been completed so far and five more are scheduled to be_   
_done before this year is out._

_On a purely personal note I’m glad to say that new Delphis class ships have been built as well._   
_When I first took command of the Saratoga there were only four Delphis class ships in the Fleet:_   
_The Saratoga, Andaman, Actium and Adriatic. Since then several others have been built._   
_The Salamis and Baltic in 59’. The Delta, Argo and Samoa in 60’ and the Kumari, Okhotsk_   
_and the Vaska last year._

_Starfleet is determined to expand their knowledge as much as possible. As soon as new ships_   
_are off the docks they’re sent into deep space and our old ships are being sent ever further too._   
_Someone needs to study all the things they find and that’s what Delphis class ships do best._   
_They’ve always performed this task admirably, but ever since Nero there is an added…intensity_   
_for want of a better world. There’s an ancient Nlian saying, “The best way to face something_   
_is from a position of knowledge.” and that’s definitely true. The more we know about something_   
_the better prepared we are for it._

_It seems that Starfleet is also getting over some of its fixation on the idea that bigger means better_   
_and seeing the use of small ships. For one thing they take less time to build and don’t require large crews._   
_And in fringe areas, they’re less likely to alarm an alien race. A small unknown ship may raise concerns_   
_but would be seen as less of a threat, than a big ship such as the Enterprise, the Triumph or Excalibur._

_I recall one of my first missions with the Saratoga; being allowed to enter Atellan space to study_   
_the famous Quia Gas Giants. The Atellans are very wary of outsiders and while they never would_   
_have allowed a large ship to enter their space, they were willing to permit a small science vessel._

_Another case in point is when we made First Contact with the Tooela last year. They protect_   
_their planet with a highly dense polaron grid that no Federation ship has been able to get through._   
_Over the years when other Federation passed nearby hails were met with silence. We were nearby_   
_conducting studies when a Tooelan ship de-cloaked and contacted us. They explained that they_   
_hadn’t allowed any other ships to their world because of their size and weapons. We were smaller_   
_and from their observations of us we appeared peaceful and interested only in scientific endeavor,_   
_so they made contactt._

_Of course there are a lot in Starfleet who still think that the best way to be prepared is to become_   
_more militarized. Who would say that small ships may not seem threatening, but are not as good_   
_at fighting if the need arises. Admiral Jones is definitely one of them and he and Pike’s have had_   
_quite a few ‘discussions’._

_As little as I may care for Admiral Jones personally I know that he has Starfleet’s best interests at heart._   
_And he does make several valid points: Starfleet’s purpose is to explore, form diplomatic ties and_   
_to keep the peace, but we are also the Federation’s military, even if we don’t use the word._   
_The Federation has enemies and we need to be vigilant in protecting it. The problem is there is a thin_   
_line between maintaining security and building a climate of fear. Large well armed ships are good at_   
_protecting but at the same time they make others less likely to trust us. There really is no clear cut answer._

_Jones is still convinced that my talents are wasted on the Saratoga. He feels that a Captain with my_   
_tactical skills would serve the Federation far better on a larger ship. Well, he can think what he wants._   
_The Saratoga is my baby, my **home** and I have no intention of leaving her after everything she’s done_   
_for me. I can serve the Federation just as well on a small ship. A fact which I have been proving from_   
_the day I took command and which I intend to keep on proving._

_Maybe the rest of my class can too. There are twelve of us now. Twelve Delphis class ships. Twelve_   
_dolphin ships. Dolphins travel in pods and I would say that twelve makes a pod. The Delphis Pod._   
_Maybe one reason we never attracted much attention before was simply because there weren’t a lot_   
_of us. Now that our numbers have increased that may change. Maybe the entire Pod can go on_   
_missions together. Wouldn’t that be a sight?_

_Well, I’m done, for the time being, with meetings, discussions and political agendas. The Saratoga is_   
_once again underway and will be spending the next several weeks star-charting. We’re heading toward_   
_an area of space that has several large stellar clouds and someone needs to chart them. Guess what_   
_kind of ship is best for the task? You got it, a Delphis class ship!_

_James T. Kirk._

* * *

Captain’s Mess  
6:00 PM

Kirk could count on his fingers the number of times he had used the Captain’s Mess. He preferred   
to eat with the rest of his crew and the only times he had used his private dining room was when   
he was hosting guests. Times such as now. He looked fondly at his Soul Siblings as they chattered   
with D’Ray.

During the _Saratoga’s_ stay at Starbase 11, they, like most of the crew, had spent the three days   
on the surface. There was a lot to see after all- Starbase 11 was one of the major administrative facilities   
of the Alpha Quadrant and in the event that Earth was ever conquered or destroyed it would become   
the new seat of Starfleet Headquarters. The lifemates had gotten a room in the same hotel that D’Ray   
was staying at and had spent their leave resting and touring. Kirk, busy with his meetings with Starfleet   
brass, hadn’t seen them since the ship had finally re-launched earlier today.

When his shift ended he had insisted on D’Ray being given a tour of the Saratoga and she had quickly  
made a positive impression on those who met her. He had also invited the Nlians to have dinner with him   
in the Captain’s Mess.

“I’ll accept on one condition Captain,” D’Ray had said. “That you let me help out in the Mess  
while I’m here. I intend to earn my keep and make myself useful!”

“I have no doubt you will. And I’m sure Gavor will _love_ the extra help.” Kirk chuckled as he   
thought of the upcoming fireworks between D’Ray and the Tellerite.

He smiled again as he enjoyed the company of his guests and his smile broadened as he looked   
at L’Naym. She had been overjoyed to see her Soul Sister and was still glowing with happiness.

_Friends and family. Its moments like these that make being out here worthwhile._


	42. Appreciation

_Captain’s Log_   
_Stardate: 2262.2.17_

_The Sartatoga has spent the past two five days charting the  Thorma Cloud a large red violet nebula that covers_   
_several light years in many directions. We haven’t been doing it alone either; we’re involved in a joint mission_   
_with the USS Andaman, another member of the Delphis Pod, as I’m going to call it._

_Also with us is the USS Cygnus, a Cygnus class scout. She’s larger than a Delphis class, with a crew of 300,_   
_but still smaller than most of the larger ships in the Fleet. I came close to being given command of a Cygnus_   
_class ship after leaving Enterprise; after I returned to active duty, Starfleet Command considered giving me_   
_the USS Seagull. But her CMO was married to the First Officer and I’d made it plain that Dr McCoy and_   
_I were a package deal._

_All three of our ships will be together for two more days. The Andaman will be remaining here to run continuous_   
_astronomical studies and the Cygnus and the Saratoga will be moving on to other areas as well._

_I always enjoy opportunities to work with other ships. It’s a chance to share news and discoveries, swap info_   
_and supplies. It’s also a break from routine, a chance to see new faces and to make new friends._

_In our case it’s a chance to reunite with old friends. The Saratoga and the Andaman have served on missions_   
_together in the past and I consider her Captain, Terzel Ren, a good friend. It’s fascinating to know a joined Trill_   
_and to know that while he may look like he’s only in his late 50’s he’s also over 600 years old!_

_The Saratoga and the Cygnus share a more solemn history. Nearly two years ago on Stardate 2260.9.4,_   
_both our ships were on a joint mission studying an L class planet. Our away teams discovered some unusual_   
_ores which unfortunately contained deadly bacteria which started an epidemic among both crews._

_We eventually found a cure but not before twelve crewmembers died on the Cygnus and six onboard the Saratoga._   
_Six crewmates. Six friends and loved ones. Six members of our family._

_It hit everyone hard, especially Crewman Alyen. He’s a medic not a physician, but he has the heart of a healer_   
_and it was the first time that he had ever lost patients. I had never seen him so devastated._

_Tragedy can connect as well as good times, and ours bound the crew tighter together. It also forged_   
_a strong bond between us and the crew of the Cygnus. And between its Captains. I’ve come to consider_   
_Captain Mary Weaver a close friend. She’s been in the Fleet since before I was born and in our regular_   
_subspace talks I always benefit from her advice and wisdom._

_One of the many things I’ve learned from my time on the Saratoga is that to be a good Captain one must_   
_be able to command but one must also be always willing to listen and learn._

_James T Kirk_

* * *

_Saratoga Corridors_   
_3:40 PM_

“I think that if we adjust the sensors here we should be able to scan this entire area within another eight hours.”

Kirk nodded thoughtfully as he looked over the PADD that his fellow Captain handed him. During their   
joint mission all three ships had stayed in close proximity and crews from all the ships constantly beamed  
and shuttled over to the other ships.

The captains were no exception and Captain Weaver had beamed aboard the _Saratoga_ about an hour ago.   
Since the two had first met an easy rapport had formed between them both and Kirk respected her highly.

“At the rate we’re going we should complete our survey well within schedule,” Weaver went on.

“I just wish that our ships could spend more time together, Captain,” Kirk said with a smile.

“As do I, Captain,” Weaver agreed. “It’s always good to see friendly faces and to be reminded that one   
isn’t alone out here.”

Kirk’s smile turned thoughtful. “And I enjoy the chance to be around peers. As much as I love my crew,   
sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone the same rank. Someone who… understands.”

“Someone who understands what it is to command a starship,” Weaver said quietly. “Someone who   
understands the burdens of being a Captain.”

Kirk managed a chuckle. “And someone who gets frustrated at the Admiralty. At all of those Admirals   
who sit behind their desks making decisions for those of us still in the Chair.”

Weaver chuckled. “That too.”

Her face grew more serious. “They offered me a commodore position five years ago. Said that I could   
have command of the Nortis V Outpost. I turned them down. Commodores and Admirals generally   
don’t fly and even though I may be getting along in years, I still love to fly.”

“Me too,” Kirk said. “Sitting at a desk. Where’s the fun in that?”

He heard voices down the hallway and spotted D’Ray and L’Naym, apparently on their way toward   
the Mess Hall. Her Soul Sister had been spending increasing time there; as her pregnancy had advanced   
so had appetite.

 _But hey she’s eating for two_ , Kirk thought. _And from what both she and Bones have told me my nephew_  
 _is strong and healthy and very eager to be born._

_My nephew...._

Kirk’s heart warmed at the thought. He had a flesh and blood nephew- his brother Sam’s son, Peter.   
But it was different. After Sam had left home, Kirk hadn’t seen him again until the incident on Deneva   
three years ago and he hadn’t even known his nephew existed until then. Since then he kept in regular   
contact with them and had come to care for his nephew deeply.

But this baby coming…Kirk had been aware of him from the start. And he also knew that he had loved   
him from the start as well.

_I don’t want to sit at a desk either. Or on any ship except this one. If I did I’d miss out on this._


	43. The time draws near

_Captain’s Personal Log_  
_Stardate: 2262.3.8_

 _The past month has been one of constant star charting. After we left the Thorma Cloud we charted_  
_and studied the Vequa Cloud with its incredible luminous qualities. We are now studying the Beyo Cluster,_  
_or, as some of the crew call it, the Sapphire Cluster._

 _On a slightly sad note I had to stay goodbye to a crewmember today. Starfleet recently launched_ _another  
Constitution class ship, the USS Aurora. Chief Petty Officer Dennis Novak was offered _ _a position onboard  
as relief for the Chief Science Officer. When he was given the offer he came to _ _me to first to ask me what  
I thought. I told him the truth- that this was an incredible offer, step up _ _for his career and he’d be crazy  
not to take it. We rendezvoused with the Aurora earlier today and _ _he left for his new positon._

 _This is nothing new- I lose a few crewmembers every year. New ships are constantly being made,_  
_other ships transfer or promote old crewmembers and need new ones as well. So, every year, usually_  
_during our year-end furlough, I have to say goodbye to familiar faces. And I had to say goodby_  
_to Novak's. He'd served on this ship for seven years. Specializes in physics, mathematics and_  
_gravi-metrics. Observant and tenacious. Fifty four years old but young at heart with a quick smile_  
_and easy laugh. An advantage of a Delphis class ship is that as Captain I get to know everyone on board._  
_But I also miss like crazy every single one who leaves._

 _The crew held a farewell party for him before he left. D’Ray Torash helped put it together._ _Since she’s  
come here I’ve come to understand why Shylea has often referred to her as one of the finest _ _event/party  
coordinators on Nlia. That woman is a party organizer extraordinaire! If you need something _ _for high society  
or an ordinary children’s party call her! She puts together a formal dinner for the crew _ _once every week,_  
each time with a different theme. And she’s even putting together a fashion show.

 _She’s by no means been neglecting her primary reason for being here-Shylea. In fact the two are_  
_seldom not at each other’s sides and D’Ray is as attentive and protective of her as Tuskaro is._  
_As for Shylea herself she has been overjoyed to have her cousin here; D’Ray has been like a tonic._

 _My little sis has been positively glowing. Not just at having her Soul Sister here but in anticipation._  
_The big day getting closer! As Captain I have to say goodbye to old crewmembers but I also get_  
_to say hello to new ones. We usually get new ones at the start of each year, but according to Bones,_  
_in about another week we’ll be greeting one more!_

 


	44. Birthing Nest

_3/14/2262_   
_Alyen and L’Naym’s Quarters_   
_7:30 AM_

Alyen felt his lifemate stirring and snapped alert out of a light sleep. L’Naym was withdrawing from   
their bed, slightly awkwardly due to her large stomach.

“Beloved,” Alyen said, reaching at once to support her.

L’Naym moved determinedly toward her closet. “I need to prepare,” she announced in a quiet  
but firm voice

Alyen looked at his lifemate with understanding and withdrew from the bed as well. Their unborn child   
was due, and for the past two nights, she had grown increasingly quiet and remote.

L’Naym moved over to the closet and began to pull out the blankets and pillows within. Some of them   
she had acquired over the past few months, some of them D’Ray had brought with her from Nlia and a   
few were gifts from close friends on the Saratoga.

She brought them over to the bed and began to arrange them. Some she spread out flat on the surface,   
others she arranged in a circular manner. Some of the pillows, feather pillows, she ripped open and   
scattered the feathers around the bed. She even scattered some strands of hair that she had collected;   
hers, her lifemate’s and from others close to her. At one point she briefly left the room then returned   
with some special scented flowers and herbs. Some she scattered in the nest while others she arranged nearby.

Through it all Alyen watched silently. The task of creating a Birthing nest was the mother’s alone. Her mate’s   
task was simply to stay close protect and support. This was as it had been for thousands of years, since   
the Time Before, long before even the ancient Days of Wandering.

Just before she gave birth, a mother would withdraw from her band and prepare a sheltered nest to give  
birth. For the week after the child was born she would allow no one near either of them but her mate.

But as millennia passed, small tribes began to form and females gradually came to recognize that sometimes   
they might need more help than their mate could provide. So gradually females began to give birth in places   
closer to their tribe.

By the time the Days of Wandering began 17,000 years before, females still prepared nests, but consented   
to give birth in a birthing tent, assisted by a midwife, who would check to make certain that all was well.   
Only then did the Mothering fully awaken and the new mother retreat to her nest with her baby. During this time   
the new mother still wanted no one else near, but would permit those whose soul she knew.

Alyen  picked up a medical tricorder and as his lifemate worked, he took scans. All of them reported that   
the vascular link between mother and unborn was disconnecting as where the various umbilical cords.   
Soon very soon it would he time.

When he brushed against his lifemate’s soul he felt her focused inward attention. The Mothering instincts   
were awakening and would grow ever stronger as the birth approached. They would culminate after the birth   
and last for seven days as she and newborn bonded.

It had been different with L’Naym’s mother, Kalii. The doctors had removed her baby from her womb   
few weeks earlier than was normal. And at the time she was greatly weakened from her illness…dying.   
She had been too weak to make a nest and in her the Mothering hadn’t flared beyond protectiveness   
of her baby and being loath not to have her in arms.

By L’Naym was strong and healthy, her baby had been carried the appropriate length of time and the   
Mothering was fully flared.

Alyen picked up his comm. “Alyen to McCoy.”

_“What is it, Alyen?”_

“Doctor. Shylea’s starting building her nest.”

_“Almost time, huh? How are her readings?”_

“The deconnection’s started. I’d say that her contractions should start sometime tomorrow.”

_“And the baby?”_

“All readings are normal.” The Nlian smiled. “I’ve touched his soul and he’s eager to be born.”

“ _I prefer to rely on medical readings, but as far as his soul goes I’ll take your word for it._  
 _Well, you’re off for today. Stay close to her and bring her to sickbay when it’s time.”_

“Understood, Doctor.”

L’Naym had finished her nest and as Alyen closed the communication, she carefully crawled in to it ,  
then lay down, silently communing with her unborn.

Alyen got in beside her and drew her close.

She clung to him tightly. * _It won't be long now. Stay with me. I need your strength. Your love.*_

_*I'm here, my beloved.* He welcomed her to take from him whatever she needed. *I'm here.*_

_The Joined Souls silently communed with each other and their unborn._

_*Come to us, little one. We’re waiting. We long to hold you in our arms.*_

 


	45. We are a family

_3/15/2262_   
_Alyen and L’Naym’s Quarters_   
_10:30 AM_

L’Naym abruptly sat up.

Since entering her nest she hadn’t left it. She had spent the time curled next to her lifemate while both   
silently communed with their unborn. The only exception where brief breaks when Alyen either took   
her to the fresher, or would fetch her water, which she partook in quick gulps. During those times he   
would gently rub her back and scan her.

Dr McCoy had called periodically to check on them. He kept his questions brief and to the point which   
Alyen answered just as quickly. The sound of other’s voices disturbed the mother to be’s concentration.   
For that reason their Captain had ordered that they were not to be disturbed and even D’Ray had stayed   
away. The time just before the birth was for mother and her mate alone as was the time afterwards.

Now she sat up eyes, wide but expression calm. “It’s time,” she whispered.

Alyen knew it was too. He could smell his lifemate’s minty scent, which over the previous day had peaked   
and he also noted the slight change in the skin tone around her neck. A quick scan only confirmed it.

He reached for his lifemate. “Beloved, we have to go to sickbay.”

She looked at him, instinctive reluctance to leave her nest plain.

“It’s alright, Beloved.” He whispered. “We agreed that this is best for the baby.”

Hesitantly she nodded and slowly got out of the nest.

Alyen meanwhile had pulled his comm. “Dr McCoy, it’s time. I’m bringing her down now.”

“ _All right, I’ll be ready for her.”_

Alyen drew his lifemate closely against him as they exited their quarters. She wore only a shift but she   
could have been wearing nothing and not cared. She felt only an intense inner focus to get to the place   
where she could give birth.  Thankfully the corridor was empty and they weren’t far from a turbolift.

**************************************************  
 _Sickbay_  
 _10:45 AM_  
   
“Well, it looks like a certain little someone is ready to come out.”

L’Naym was beginning to sweat and her breath coming in short, pants, but her head jerked up sharply   
and she stared at the doctor. He wasn’t her mate. He had no place here!

A deep and guttural growl formed in her throat.

Her mate hugged her reassuringly. “It’s alright, Beloved,” he whispered. This is Dr McCoy. You know him.   
He’s a friend. He’s a healer. He’s here to help the baby.

“Healer?” L’Naym murmured. “Here to help…”  She wavered, knowing that Dr. McCoy was a friend,   
that he would never hurt her or her baby, but driven by a primal urgency deep within her.

She kept her head low, a strange sound that was half growl and half whimper escaping her throat.

“Remember, Beloved,” her mate urged. “We agreed to this. Dr McCoy needs to be here to help the baby.   
This has been done since the Days of Wandering. The ancient mothers knew that sometimes they would   
need help. That’s why birthing tents and midwifes began.”

“Since the Ancient Days,” L’Naym murmured.  She glanced around, ancient instincts and taught knowledge   
focusing. “This is the Birthing Tent. McCoy is the midwife.”

McCoy’s eyebrow raised but he remained silent.

Slowly L’Naym made her way over to the waiting bed.  “As has been since the Ancient Days, so it is now.”

With her mate’s help she got onto the biobed and lay back. The Healer/Midwife drew close with his instruments.   
“The contractions are definitely starting. It won't be long now.”

She clasped her mate’s hand tightly.  _*Stay with me…*_

 _*Always, my beloved*_   He held her tightly, pouring into her his strength and love.   
_*You are mine. I am yours. We are one.*_

_*We are one.*_

* * *

_12:00 PM_

“I see the head. One more push should do the trick..."

L’Naym gave a deep, focused growl and strained....

And a small, wriggling form slid into the world and into McCoy’s waiting hands.

The baby gave a single cry at the shock of the world, and waved his tiny fists as the doctor bathed   
him with a damp cloth and wrapped him in a blanket.

“Clean bill of health” he announced after running some scans. “Congratulations, Mrs. L’Naym.   
You’ve got yourself a fine, healthy baby boy.”With one of his rare smiles he gently he handed   
her the baby.

L’Naym took her baby and held him close. The Midwife had performed his task. Now her every instinct   
was screaming that he needed to leave.

“Go.” She swallowed and took a breath. “Please.”

“Aye aye, ma’am.” He smirked. “Never thought I’d be chased out of my own sick bay. I’ll leave   
the three of you alone.”

Alyen completely ignored the doctor. He had eyes only for the newborn. He stared in wonder   
and amazement, while his lifemate held their son in her arms. She raised the baby to her breast   
and started to nurse.

With one finger, Tuskaro gently stroked the nursing infant's damp hair. "Brown," he whispered.

L’Naym smiled. “Just like his father’s."

He looked at his lifemate. _*Beloved_ —* was all he could manage, but all of his emotions   
were packed in that single word.

She understood. _*We are a family now, Beloved. We are a family._ *


	46. Welcome to the world

_Attention crew of the Saratoga, this is your Captain speaking. I am overjoyed to inform_ _all of you  
that Crewmen Alyen and L’Naym are now the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy. _

_As I’m sure they’ve explained to many of you; the new family will be in seclusion until the  
_ _Naming Ceremony seven days from now. I know that many of you would like to stop by and  
_ _offer your congratulations, but please respect their privacy.”_

* * *

 

_CMO’s Office  
_ _2:30 PM_   


“Hey Bones.”

McCoy looked up from the reports he was filing at his desk.

Kirk grinned. “So what are you doing sulking out here at a desk instead of tending   
to your patients?”

McCoy snorted. “Your two favorite crewmen threw me out of my own sick bay.   
L’Naym actually _growled_ at me. I’ve warned you time and again that her sweetness   
is just an act but did you listen?”

“Well, I suppose I should give them both a personal write up.”

“You do that. Those two have been running roughshod over this ship from the day   
they first came aboard. I don’t know who runs things on this rustbucket! You or them!

* * *

_Sickbay_

Alyen jumped at the unexpected touch at his shoulder. He had been so focused on the sight   
of his newborn son that he had been blind and deaf to all else.

“Congratulations, little bro,” Kirk whispered.

“Thank you, Jim,” Alyen whispered back. 

Kirk looked over at L’Naym who was sleeping nearby. “How’s Shylea?”

“She’s fine. She went to sleep as soon as she had finished nursing. She should be waking up  
soon though and she’ll need to get back to her nest. D’Ray took a quick peek after the birth.   
She’s in our quarters now putting in some extra supplies.”

Kirk nodded and studied the newborn as he slept peacefully in his father’s arms, his tiny lips  
occasionally making a sucking motion. He definitely had Alyen’s hair. He was darker complexioned   
than his father, although not as dark as his mother. “What color are his eyes?” he asked.

“Blue. He has my hair and eyes.” Alyen paused. “But he has his mother’s beauty.” The love and pride   
he felt were so great he felt that his heart would burst from it. “He’s the most beautiful child that’s   
ever been born.”

Jim chuckled “I’m sure every dad feels the same way.”

“But in my case it’s true.” Alyen looked up at his Soul Brother not bothering to hold back the tears   
of joy. “Jim…” he whispered, “Jim, I’m a father.”

“I know, Tuskaro” Kirk returned solemnly, “I know. And I’m so glad for you both.”

He gently reached out and touched his Soul Brother’s shoulder. 

_Two Souls touched._

_A Joined Soul and a Soul he and his Other Half had touched._

_The Joined Soul shared the depth of his love and gratitude for his new son._

_The Touched Soul rejoiced for him._

Kirk gently reached out and touched the sleeping infant’s right hand. “Welcome to the world, Little one.”

 _We’ve spent the past three days charting the Archela Cloud_ , he thought. _But as beautiful as it is  
it doesn’t compare to this._

Alyen gave a slight chuckle and looked up at Kirk. “How’s Doctor McCoy? He’s not too upset over   
getting thrown out is he?”

Kirk chuckled softly. “With Bones ‘upset’ is a relative term.”

 


	47. New Mother

5:00 PM

The new mother awoke. 

Her baby! She needed him in her arms!

She saw her mate sitting nearby, holding their newborn. She reached out and he immediately handed   
her the child. She cradled her baby close, breathing in his sweet scent.

Overwhelming tenderness and protectiveness surged through her being. Her precious newborn!   
Never had there been any creature so tender so fragile! But nothing would harm her child!   
Not while she lived!

She wasn’t the gentle natured botanist that everyone on the Saratoga knew. She was a fierce, protective   
mother who would take on a fleet of Klingons if she thought they were a threat to her young!

_I am a mother. This is my child._

This was the song that every cell in her body now sang.

Every fiber of her being was demanding that she leave the birthing tent and return to her nest.  
To the safe protected place where she and her child could bond in safety.

“Lifemate,” she whispered. “My nest. I need to move to my nest.”

“Of course, Beloved.”  Her mate pulled out his comm. “Doctor. We’re heading back to our quarters now.”

A somewhat sardonic voice replied; “ _Oh? Do I have permission to return to my own sickbay?”_

Her mate couldn’t keep an amused chuckle from coming. “You have permission, Doctor. Give us ten   
minutes and we’ll be out of your hair.”

She meanwhile had gotten up from the biobed, clutching her sleeping newborn tightly.    
_Soon, my precious little one. Soon we’ll be in the safety of our nest._

Her mate came beside her and drew her close. She nestled gratefully. She needed her Other Half more   
than ever. Over the next seven days she would begrudge every moment that her child wasn’t in her arms   
and her mate wasn't at her side. Even when she slept, both her soul and body would instinctively reach   
for him as he would for her.   
    
As she and her mate made their way through sickbay toward the exit, her sharp ears heard other footsteps.

“Hey, Guys.”

Another male’s voice!

She looked up sharply and her green eyes met piercing blue ones.

 _Soul Sibling_.

In her primal state, her soul recognized her brother and she relaxed.

“Sister,” came another voice.

She looked sharply at the other intruder and her soul recognized her sister.

Ancient knowledge flooded her.

_"Those who know your soul have many tasks._   
_One of them is to simply stand by your side._

_When the Mothering first stirs the mother-to- be prepares her Birthing Nest._   
_She will leave it briefly for the Birthing Tent, attended by her mate and midwife._   
_Then she will sleep, for labor leaves a new mother exhausted._   
_When she awakens, so too does the Mothering fully awaken._

_During the Mothering, the mother will allow no one near._   
_None save her mate…and those who know her soul._

_Those who know the mother’s soul will escort her and her mate back to her nest._   
_Then they watch from afar to make certain none disturb them._

_Long ago mothers made their nests some distance from the tribe._   
_Although she would try to make it in a safe place, sometimes predators might attack._   
_Those who knew her soul would protect both her and her mate._

_As it was in the Ancient Days and so it has been since._   
_While the new mother and her mate shelter within her nest,_   
_Those who knew her soul protect them both from without."_

She didn’t speak as she gazed at her Soul Siblings.  
But her eyes conveyed her gratitude.  
And she knew that they both could feel it.

The tiny party entered the turbolift and then made their way through the ship’s corridors.  
It wasn’t far to quarters and she felt increased relief with each step closer.

Upon reaching their quarters she eagerly stepped in and made a bee-line towards her nest.  
As she climbed in she heard voices whispering.

“I put plenty of food out for you both on the table and some by the bed. I’ll drop more   
off at your door tomorrow at 0:800.”

“If you need anything at all we’re just a comm away.”

“Thank you, D’Ray. Jim.”

“That’s what brothers and sisters are for. See you guys in a week.”

_Brothers and sisters._

The new mother nestled close to her baby and her mate slid in beside her, holding her close.   
Her thoughts began to focus on her child and lifemate. For the next seven days nothing would   
exist for her but them.

But before her thoughts began the bonding, they turned very briefly turned to her siblings,   
and she felt a small surge of warmth.

 


	48. Newborn Eyes

_3/19/2261_   
_Alyen and L’Naym’s Quarters_

Both Alyen and L’Naym had noticed that their new son seemed interested in the stars.

For the first three days after the birth, L’Naym hadn’t stirred from her nest except for brief trips   
to the fresher. Alyen didn’t either while she was awake, instead the new parents would lie or sit   
together, silently communing with each other and their newborn.

Sometimes though, while L’Naym slept, Alyen would take their son for a quiet walk through their quarters.   
Never for long, for even when she was asleep, L’Naym would instinctively reach out for them both.

On one such walk, four days after the birth, Alyen had taken their son to the window to show him the view.   
The _Saratoga_ was still surveying the Archela Cloud and the sight was stunning.

“I wanted you to see them.” Alyen whispered.  “When I was a child I could spend hours looking at the stars.   
When I was very young my grandfather would take me out on his boat at night and the whole sky was like  
an ocean of stars.”

As if he understood his father’s words, the infant opened his eyes and as he gazed out the window,   
they widened.

Today L’Naym’s primal need to stay in her nest had begun to fade slightly and she had also taken their son   
for a walk through their quarters. She too carried him to the window. The newborn’s eyes were wide open,   
both she and her lifemate had already sensed in him great curiosity

“Sometimes, my little one, the stars can seem like a bottomless well,” she whispered. “My grandmother,   
your great grandmother, loved the stars. She had the soul of a wanderer and the stars guided her through   
countless wanderings through the desert. She loved to travel and she loved the stars. She passed on to me   
both of those loves.”

She held her son up. “Look at the stars, my son. Aren’t they beautiful?”

Newborn eyes gazed outward and the baby made a sound that sounded like a tiny giggle.


	49. Return to the Tribe

_3/22/2262  
_ _Alyen and LNaym’s Quarters_  
5:30 PM

“Is everything ready, D’Ray?”

_“Oh yes. I’ve been quite busy the last day or so!”_

Alyen put down his comm. and turned to L’Naym. “Are you ready, Beloved?”

She smiled as she looked down at her baby. The Bonding was a precious, sacred time cherished   
by all Nlian parents. For six days nothing existed but mother, father and child.

But gradually her primal instinct to remain sequestered with her new family had faded.   
Slowly her thoughts had begun to return to her friends. And now on the seventh day of their  
child’s life, she and her lifemate would at last leave their quarters. As it had been from the   
Ancient Days the new family would leave their nest and return to the tribe.

Their destination would be the Mess Hall where the Naming Ceremony would be held and their   
son officially welcomed into the tribe. During the Mothering, one of the tasks of other loved ones   
was not only to watch and protect from afar, but to oversee the Ceremony and festivities that   
followed and from what L’Naym knew of D’Ray, the one prepared for her son would be lavish.

She smiled as she looked at her lifemate’s outfit. Both of them were dressed in Nlian festival clothes.   
The gathering to come was not of officers but of friends and family.

It was time to return to the tribe.

It was time to introduce their son to the crew and for the crew to learn his name.

 


	50. The Naming

_Mess Hall_  
_6:00 PM_

D’Ray had been very busy during the six days L’Naym and Alyen had been sequestered in their quarters.   
The Mess Hall was lavishly decorated with vivid colors and lights. Several tables had been moved to make  
room for the assembled guests and the ones remaining were covered in various Nlian dishes. In one corner  
of the room where deposited gifts for the family.

Alyen, L’Naym and the baby stood at one end of the room. Kirk stood beside Alyen and D’Ray beside L’Naym.  
Slightly to the right of them stood a small group of the parents’ close friends. On the left stood the senior staff.  
Beyond them stood the rest of the invited guests.

D’Ray stepped forward, she was not only the Hostess but the Announcer during the Ceremony.

“Today we gather to bear witness to one of the most beautiful of all events.” D’Ray’s words were solemn,  
yet spoken with a broad smile. “Today we gather to welcome a new life. We welcome this child with joy.  
We welcome him with love. And finally we welcome him with a name.”

L’Naym stepped forward, with her son in her arms. Although both parents discussed and decided on a name,  
the task of officially naming the child, by tradition, fell to the mother. When the discussions and decisions  
were held they were done silently. The Naming Ceremony was the first time that the chosen name was spoken  
out loud.

“My son,” L’Naym began as she gazed down at the infant’s face. “Earlier this evening I named you with only  
your father and the Giver of All as witness. I spoke your name in your ear so that you would be the first  
to know your name and hear it spoken aloud. Then I spoke it to your father. Then I presented you to  
the Giver and told Him. I repeat it to you now that all may know and remember.

“You were conceived among the stars and you born among the stars. Since then your father and I have  
both sensed that you are drawn to them. We’ve also sensed in you great curiosity and courage. Even if you  
do not become a wanderer, I know that you will always be open to new experiences. For thousands  
of years our people as wandered through the endless desert the stars lit their way.  May they always   
light yours.”

L’Naym lifted her son higher and proclaimed solemnly. “You are Jay’veen, ‘Wandering Star.’   
Jay’veen, son of Tuskaro. Jay'veen son of Shylea. Jay'veen of the families of L'Naym and Alyen.   
Jay’veen, Child of the Forest. Jay’veen, Child of the Desert. Jay’veen, Son of Nlia. You are Jay’veen Alyen.  
Know and remember always.”

Gently Alyen took his son and held him up before the assembly. “Behold our son, Jay’veen.”

“Welcome Jay’veen,” all assembled announced back. D’Ray had instructed everyone on how to proceed.

“Let those beside this child now welcome him,” D’Ray announced. “That he might know the names  
of his family.”

L’Naym gently handed the baby to D’Ray who was silent for a few moments as she held the newborn  
for the first time. “Jay’veen. I am D’ray Resh. I am cousin and Soul Sister to your mother.” She smiled.  
And I am your aunt. You were not born of my womb, but I will love you as my own flesh.”

D’Ray turned and handed the baby to Kirk. “Hello Jay’veen,” he whispered. “I’m James Tiberius Kirk.  
I’m Soul Brother to your mother and father. I’m your uncle.” He paused and swallowed hard. “I’ve got  
a kid now and it’s you.

“And Jay’veen, I’m also your Captain,” he continued softly. “As I pledged to your parents I now pledge  
to you: By your side I will stand. On the right paths I will lead you. Your life I will defend. And your trust  
I will _never_ betray.”

After the baby was handed back to L’Naym, D’Ray once again stepped forward. “Let those assembled  
now welcome him. That he may know the names of his friends.”

Petty Officer Bower, approached first. “Hey, Jay’veen. I’m Steven Bower. I’m a friend of your dad’s.  
Welcome aboard.”

Next was Crewman Dantworth from Engineering. “Hi, Jay’veen, I’m Todd Dantworth. I’m a friend  
of your dad’s. Something that I’m very honored to be.”

McCoy approached, wearing one of his rare smiles. “Hey, Jay’veen. I’m Leonard McCoy. Your dad  
works in my medbay and since I haven’t kicked him out yet, it means that he’s not half bad.  
I’m also the Chief Medical Officer of this rust bucket. If you ever get hurt or sick I’ll do my best  
to fix you right up.”

“Hello Jay’veen, I’m Sarah Richards. I’m a good friend of your mother’s. Welcome.”

“Hello Jay’veen, I’m Silvia Mayberry and I’m honored to be friend of your mother’s.”

“Shalom, Jay’veen, I’m Abigail Silverstein. I’m honored to be your mother’s friend and to know you.  
_Yevhārēkh-khā Adhōnāy veyishmerēkhā.”*_

“Hello Jay’veen, I’m Natasha Holster. I’m a friend of your mother’s and I hope I’ll become yours as well.”

“Ola, Jay’veen. I’m Pablo Rodriguez. Your mother serves under me and she’s one of the finest botanists  
I’ve worked with.”

“Jay’veen, I’m Gavor. Your mother works with me in the kitchens sometimes. Odd…I can’t think  
of a suitable insult right now.”

“Hello Jay’veen, I’m Monica Deerhorn. Your mother saved my daughter’s life and I will always  
be in her debt.”

“Hi, Jay’veen. I’m Trisha. Your mommy babysits me and I’m going to help her take care of you.”

D’Ray stepped forward again. "Let those who lead now welcome him, that he may know the names  
of those who will protect him.”

Thelin stepped forward.  “Jay’veen I am Thelin th’Valrass. I am First Officer and Chief Science Officer  
of this ship. I shall always endeavor to make certain that you remain safe.”

“Hello, Jay’veen I am Joyce Filars, Chief Engineer. I will always do my best to keep the ship that  
you live on safe for you.”

“Jay’veen, I am Clarice Hatcher, Chief of Security. I will always do my best to protect you.”

“Hello, Ja’veen. I am Laurence Tolliver, Chief of Operations. I will always try to make certain  
that this ship you live on operates smoothly.”

“ _Kon’nichiwa*_ Jay’veen. I am Harutu Akari. Chief Helmsman. I vow to always fly a steady course  
and do my best to keep you from harm."

“Greetings Jay’veen, I am Arex Na Eth, Chief Navigator. I will always try to navigate the safest course."

“Hello, Jay’veen. I am Shiboline M'Ress, Chief of Communications. I will always try to make certain  
that communications both on this ship and between others flow smoothly.”

After all introductions had been made, D’ray stepped forward one last time, addressing everyone  
in the room. “We welcome this child with joy. We welcome him with love. He begins his life in  
the warmth of family, friends and tribemates. May he always live so."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yevhārēkh-khā Adhōnāy veyishmerēkhā.”* is a Hebrew blessing  
> It means "May the Lord bless you and keep you.”
> 
> Kon’nichiwa is Japanese for 'hello'


	51. Gift of Esteem

_Mess Hall_  
9:00 PM  
  
“Doctor McCoy?”  
  
McCoy looked up. After the Naming Celebration had wound down, he had decided to make a quick trip  
to sickbay before returning to his quarters. After speaking briefly to Lieutenant Hulcaira, who was in charge  
during Beta shift, he had headed to his office to fill out a quick report. After a few minutes he had heard  
a soft voice speaking to Hulcaira but engrossed in his work, hadn’t stopped writing.  
  
Now as he finally looked up, he saw L’Naym standing in the office entrance, gazing at him solemnly.  
“Doctor, may I speak to you for a moment?” she asked quietly.  
  
“Sure. Great party by the way.”  
  
“Thank you.” She took a breath. “Doctor, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted towards you while  
I was in the Mothering.”  
  
“Shylea, I’ve studied Nlian medical history. I know what Nlian mothers are like while they're giving birth.”  
He smiled kindly, “But if it makes you feel better, apology accepted.”  
  
She smiled slightly and a tension went out of her.  “I also wanted to thank you for your care and to give  
you something. I wanted to give it to you privately because it probably would have embarrassed you  
if I had done it in front of everyone.”  
  
She stepped forward and handed him a small box. Upon opening it, McCoy found a small glowing  
white stone attached to a pendant.  
  
“The Ylora stone is very rare and highly treasured on Nlia,” L’Naym said softly. “They are regarded as  
symbols of honor and only given to someone whom you esteem highly. There are many types of gifts.  
Gifts of friendship, gifts of love, gifts of esteem and gifts of gratitude. This is a gift of both esteem  
and gratitude."  
  
McCoy stared at the pendant, obviously moved. “It’s…beautiful. Thank you.”  
  
L’Naym stepped closer. “Doctor, as a Healer you are a Second Parent to both my lifemate and myself.  
And you are a Second Parent to my son. You acted as midwife. You brought him into the world.  
Your hands were the first to touch him. Your arms were the first to hold him, even before mine.”  
  
She reached out and took the doctor's hands. “As your hands were the first to touch my child,   
so my hands touch you in gratitude now.”  She enfolded him in a gentle hug. “As your arms were   
the first to hold my child, so my arms hold you in gratitude now.” 

She stepped back and quietly walked away.  
  
McCoy stared down at the pendant for a few moments, then quietly slipped it around his neck.  
  
“Hey, Bones,” came another quiet voice.  
  
McCoy looked up to see Kirk leaning against the doorway with an amused look on his face. “When Shylea  
told me she needed to see you I came along for moral support in case you were still cranky about  
her little sickbay coup.”  
  
His eyes went to the pendant. “Never thought you were the jewelry type, but it looks good on you.”  
  
“Not another word, Jim. Not. One. More. Word.”


	52. Hurry Back

_3/24/2262  
Starbase 12  
  
_ “Hurry back. This ship will be a bit lonely without the two of you on it.”  
  
The Saratoga had docked at Starbase 12. The crew was taking a two day shore leave and Alyen, L’Naym  
and D’Ray were disembarking. They would be boarding the _USS Cirrus_ , which would be heading  
to Starbase Alpha. From there they would take a transport to Nlia where L’Naym would spend a month  
of maternity leave. Kirk had gotten to know D’Ray well enough to know that she was already busily planning  
the ceremony introducing little Jay’veen to his family back home.  
  
Alyen meanwhile had gently put his hand on his Captain’s shoulder. “As our lives won’t have quite  
as much joy when you’re not sharing it with us, Jim.”  
  
“Oh, I think you’ll have plenty of joy.” Kirk smiled down at little Jay’veen nestled in L’Naym’s arms.  
During the two days following the Naming the new parents had introduced their son to every member  
of the _Saratoga_ who hadn’t been able to make it to the Ceremony. Little Jay’veen was already  
very popular, especially with the young people. Little Trisha had firmly declared herself his protector  
and had become practically joined at the hip.  
  
L’Naym stepped forward and gently laid her baby in the Captain’s arms. Kirk immediately cradled  
him close. He had expected to love his little nephew from the start. Yet the first time he had held him,  
it had stirred in him something so deep and powerful he had almost felt like he were drowning.  
  
His time in command of the _Saratoga_ had changed him forever, his bond with his Soul Siblings  
even more so. But when he had cradling the tiny body for the first time he had known that he had  
changed in ways he couldn't begin to measure. He couldn’t imagine that any child had ever been  
more precious, or that any uncle’s heart could be more filled with love.  
  
As if sensing his thoughts, both Alyen and L’Naym drew closer and put their arms around him.  
  
_Three Souls touched  
Two Joined Souls and the Soul they had touched.  
  
*You are our brother, Jim. As much as if you were our own flesh.  
And you are Jay’veen’s uncle. You are our family.*  
  
*I know,* the Touched Soul whispered. *And I’m glad.*  
  
*You are Jim and you are ours.*  
  
*You are Shylea and Tuskaro. You are one and you are mine.*  
  
The Touched Soul gazed lovingly down at his nephew. *You’re mine too, little guy.  
And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.*_  
  
*************************************************************  
_Later_  
  
From one of the observation decks, Kirk silently watched as the _Cirrus_   disengaged   
from the station. _Take care of my family,_ he silently charged it. _Take care of my family._  
  
END


End file.
